When I got up this morning the sky seemed still and very dark, no sun visible. By the time I sat down to meditate, I was just in time to catch the start of today’s snowfall. For the past 25 or 30 minutes the snow has been falling, continues to do so still, and sidewalks, rooftops, parked cars, and driveways are quite white. The streets have four black continuous stripes or paths, two in each lane, from the commuters driving along them. Well, I should say “street,” singular, since I can only see Essex from my perch. Coincidentally, the house on Essex, where previously I’ve watched a black cat in the living room window, this morning is festooned with twinkling white “icicle” xmas lights. ‘Tis the season. I wouldn’t mind, if winter didn’t then go on to last well into April…
Yesterday on our walk, A. and I ran into N. as she was leaving her house. We walked together for a few blocks, talked about the weather (which was still dry), and she mentioned how she’s “done” with winter after I asked if she had heard that we’re going to experience another polar vortex in late winter/ early spring (February, March, perhaps some in April). Lots of snow, too, no doubt. Then she headed down a different street while A. and I continued on our walk, and I mentioned to A. that this political situation now almost precludes my speaking with any number of people about anything but the most banal things (weather, e.g.). My take is that, while I detest Trump and what he might – probably will? – do, I’m so mad at the entrenched Democrats and stupid liberals who essentially colluded on this neoliberal world order which has screwed enough people over so badly till they revolted by electing someone like Trump (and the Dems, those idiots, thwarted Sanders) that I could beat them with sticks by now. This is likely anathema to all the earnest Clinton supporters who joined Pantsuit Nation or whatever, and who really won’t and don’t want to see why their candidate was a disaster. Well, at least on the good news front: it seems like the people are winning against the corporate goons in the Dakota Access Pipeline fight. I bet it’s thanks to a large degree to the vets who showed up in solidarity. You can’t mess with the vets, not in this country, not yet. There’s a lingering “Spartacus” vibe to them, they’re not complete puppets or drones. They – many of them – are the best we have.