minalisms

For the past 45 minutes the night sky has lit up every second or two. There are so many lightning strikes that the thunder often cannot keep up. The intervals of lightning are so close, in fact, that the thunder sounds like a steady, continuous growl.

I arrived home safely despite the treacherous 30-minute drive from work, which usually takes just 10. The raindrops were so heavy that their thuds against the car drowned out the booming thunder. My windshield wipers were springing feverishly side to side as the humidity crept over the glass, clouding my vision.

Nights like this remind me how much the Midwest is still a foreign land to me. The torrential downpours, the balls of hail, the sleet and snow, and, as mentioned already, the springtime thunderstorms.

It’s weather like this that personally introduces me to nature’s strength and my own weakness. It reminds me of relativity between big and small. I am a mere speck under a limitless sky.

I have nothing much to say today. The voices in my head — don’t call me crazy because I know you have your own — have been chattering all day long. And it’s that kind of dialogue that wears me out. 

The talk starts up whenever I’m about to act upon a big decision, and it persists after I’ve made it … just to test my willpower.

While I tell these voices that the tea party is over, check out the recently added Portfolio section of this site. It reminds me of my accomplishments, and reminds me that I’m a rock star, regardless of what is being said in my head.

What do you do when you’re home alone?

Some people read. Some watch television or a rented flick. Some sleep, or cook, or tidy up their space. Some can’t stand the silence so they telephone friends. Some write in their journal. Some spend hours pondering the meaning of it all.

And then there are those who spend their valuable free time doing this:

    

But at least they laugh.

A sense of humor…is needed armor. Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.”
— Hugh Sidey, journalist

While chatting with my friend last week, he offered my newfound favorite quote:

This place sucks sometimes. And by sometimes I mean a lot.”

Thanks, G, you summed up the shared sentiment perfectly.

Hillary Clinton is getting a raw deal. That’s not in reference to her politics; it’s in reference to her gender.

The never-ending race for the Democratic presidential nomination between Clinton and Barack Obama is peeling back layers and layers of this country’s long-shot hope for equality.

Sexism vs. racism — which is more offensive?

Ideally, we want to believe that both are regarded with an equal degree of seriousness, because both are forms of discrimination — plain and simple. Realistically, however, that isn’t the case. Realistically, we tolerate sexism far more than we do racism.

Why?

Way back in January, while addressing supporters at a campaign stop in New Hampshire, Clinton was interrupted by two men who stood up with signs and repeatedly yelled, “Iron my shirt!” The signs matched their moronic proclamation. Soon after the outbursts, the men were escorted out of the building, not to be heard of or from again.

Ah, the remnants of sexism — alive and well,” Clinton said after the commotion subsided.

Upon hearing the news, reaction around the newsroom consisted of incredulity mixed with laughter. There was something about the incident that prompted some to chuckle, and conclude how ridiculous certain people can be.

Now, I’d like to present another scenario:
Let’s say that Obama was at a rally. And during his speech, two individuals stood up flaunting signs and yelling, “Shine my shoes!”

What would the reaction be to that? Would there be chuckles? Would the occurrence be chalked up merely as ridiculous? Would we forget about it three days later? Or would the media latch on to the episode to spurn scores of news stories and analyses about race relations in America?

We’d quickly describe “Shine my shoes!” toward Obama as hate speech. But never once have I heard someone describe the “Iron my shirt!” demand toward Clinton as hate speech.

Sexism and racism are both, by law, equal forms of discrimination. Yet they don’t prompt equal responses. 

Why?