I have my voice.
I don’t have a huge voice. I don’t always have a confident voice, but I have a voice.
I don’t talk much about politics or subjects where emotions run high. I don’t have the stomach for it. I just want to make people laugh. Or help people not feel alone when they are dealing with their own mental health issues or difficult relationships.
I have a voice, though and I need to use it.
Imagine a little boy in a sandbox. He’s playing alone, content, and happy. He is oblivious to what is going on around him and he’s totally cool with that. He just wants to play in the sandbox.
Then a guy runs up to him and starts screaming in his face “You’re not safe! You’re going to die! Everything is horrible and you should be terrified!”
What’s going to happen then? The kid is going to freak the fuck out is what’s going to happen. One minute, he’s playing and all feels right with the world. The next, he’s sobbing, blowing snot bubbles, and scared shitless.
The reality is, though, that his sandbox is no more or less safe than it was before the screaming man came along and ruined his day.
I watched some RNC clips and the fear mongering was breathtaking. Wave after wave of screaming men telling throngs of people how we are under threat every second of every day. For fuck’s sake, Chachi was freaking out over how much danger we’re all in.
How many people are that little boy in the sandbox? They thought they were fine. Then, these huge voices inundate them with 
promises of death, destruction, divisiveness and hatred.
The more people hear this, the more afraid they grow. How do creatures react when they are afraid? They react irrationally. They turn on one another. They distrust and hate. They react with violence.
Why are we participating in this? Why?
I’m not claiming that we’re safe. No one can guarantee safety. Life is dangerous and hard and no matter how safe we stay, we’re still going to die one day.
Right now, we are alive. Right this second we are here on this earth. How wonderful is that? How bizarre and amazing and thrilling it is to exist.
I don’t feel threatened. I am not afraid every single day. Perhaps my safety is an illusion. I don’t care. I’d rather get back in the goddamn sandbox and play than cower and lash out in fear.
I thought we were the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Brave people don’t monger fear. Cowards do. Brave people don’t run out of the sandbox and hide just because some cheeto headed bag of gas screams we aren’t safe. Cowards do.
Stop being afraid.
We have so little time here on earth. Wouldn’t our time be better spent helping each other? Learning about each other? Being happy?
Stop being afraid. Stop listening to people who are trying to steal your peace of mind.
Ask yourself this. If you aren’t living in fear every second, then why are these people trying so hard to scare and divide us? Is it because scared people are easier to control? If people are scared enough, will they set aside what they know is right? Will they let a goddamn monster take the reigns so they can find their peace of mind again?
Scared people in groups behave in horrifying ways. History has proven this over and over.
This doesn’t have to be us. We are better than this.
Now you go tell someone to stop being afraid.
Fair warning. I mentioned in an earlier post that if you leave a comment that is hateful or distresses me in any way, I will turn it into bad poetry.
Noogie Patrol?
😉
Hahahha!
Thank you.
You’re welcome! I am glad you liked it!
Yes!!!
I abhor the way trump is instilling fear. I mean, unless you are black and occasionally drive a car..then yeah, I’d be a little afraid.
Thanks for being so articulate-you speak serious truth in this post!!!
Thank you! XOXOX
I agree for the most part, but after watching the RNC, I think some of the fear is justified. That was some scary shit. I’ve never been worried about strangers or particular groups of people before, but now I’m deathly afraid of Republicans. They make our Canadian Conservatives look like left-wing radicals.
I feel like these are the darkest times I’ve ever lived through. I am afraid of the direction we are taking and how much worse it can get…but I refuse to live my life cowering. I refuse.
Right on Michelle. I made a similar statement on Facebook a few days ago.
I just wish people would calm the fuck down and examine what the real threat is. The threat is divisiveness and racism and bigotry. Those are the things we should be afraid of and rejecting.
Exactly. Unfortunately, the ones that need to understand what you wrote never will. 🙁
I know. But I had to try. I don’t know what else to do.
“For the record, prejudices can kill – and suspicion can destroy – and a thoughtless frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own – for the children – and the children yet unborn.”
–from Twilight Zone episode “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street”
Decades later and we’re still repeating that pattern. But I like it here in the sandbox.
OMG! Yes! This explains a LOT. Rod Serling is going to pop out any second now.
“Submitted for your approval …” HAHA! At least this gives me some comfort, as I realize how little human nature has actually changed since the dawn of Time. Our technology can now spy on and kill masses of people with little effort, but we’re still human—for the most part—and we’re still here.
Exactly, and while we are here, why don’t we just go ahead and try NOT being dicks? Enjoying our lives as best we can? Helping those in need? It’s a simple concept.
I too have become one step closer to running around like chicken little. Last year we took the leap to country life and I have never looked back. While I would like to believe that I live just around the corner from Andy And Barney, all it takes is looking at the news at night to confirm that I seem to be not that far from hatred and major discontent. One good thing about living on acreage though, you can here the zombies coming before they can get you.
I see the appeal of that, but I’d be freaked out to be in the middle of nowhere. I don’t like being around people, but I still want to know they are close by. It’s not easy being me. Haha.
You have expressed what I want to shout to my fellow citizens. Thanks!
You’re welcome! Thank you!
Yes! Home of the Brave. I soon love this post. Gotta go tweet now. Smiles, pats on the back, kisses, and such.
Thank you so much! And thank you for sharing!
Perfect. Thank you. I shared and hope your message reaches many people who have been shouted into a false sense of impending doom.
Thank you! And thanks for sharing! I appreciate that so much!
I think some people are using the sandbox to stick their head in
Unfortunately, that will always be the case.
Recently, I had to begin determining which expenses in my household are “necessary”, which ones are “unnecessary” and which are “probably not wholly necessary, but I enjoy them, so fuck it, I’ll continue to pay”. One of the “toss it” choices came when I decided to not renew my print newspapers. I’ve also been avoiding the TV news for the most part. It dawned on me how much calmer my days have been, because the majority of the “news” is nothing more than “fear-mongering”, as you stated, and really has not impacted my actual life in any way. I’m not saying I’m for total ignorance, because a person has to be aware of what’s happening in the world to some degree, lest someone like the Evil Orange Meanie (shades of Sgt. Pepper! Haha!) actually gets their foot in the door at that big White House of ours. The perfect example of how the GOP likes to use fear to control the masses came during the Duh-bya administration. After 9/11, any time the news brought up Cheney being a part of the Enron situation and having strong ties to Kenneth Lay (may he Rest In Hell), the next morning, our country would suddenly be on “High Alert” for another terrorist attack. With that announcement, everything and anything about Enron was conveniently buried because America was more concerned about all the terrorists hiding out on every street corner, waiting to get them. After that happened a couple of times, I made a remark to Paul that I had just read another article about Cheney’s connection to Enron, so tomorrow, he could expect a headline about us being on “High Alert” again. It happened exactly as I had predicted, Paul laughed and said, “You were right.”. Of course I’m right! 🙂 I’m still convinced that 9/11 was allowed to happen because it was the only way they could invade Iraq and get to Saddam Hussein (Daddy Bush’s enemy) with the backing of American citizens. “Keep them frightened, keep them ignorant and keep them dependent on you and you can get away with anything you want.” That’s the GOP’s motto, along wth every abusive man out there. But, what do the average American citizens care? Forget the sandbox! They’re busy playing Pokemon GO, for God’s sake! Is there a Charmander in the White House?
*Tinkerbell’s wings are ruffled today!* *Pixie dust everywhere* And hey! You kids! Get off my lawn!!! HAHAHA!!!!!
The pixie dust is FLYING! And yes..they are so guilty of stoking the flames of fear to pave the way to do what they want. Which is hoard as much money for themselves and their rich buddies. They don’t give fuck ONE about us.
Karl Marx.
Fucker was SOOOO right.
And now I’m out of pixie-dust. Dammit.
Tink?
😉
*gathers handfuls of pixie dust and places them in Ziplock bags*
*hands to Lisa*
I always have plenty to share with you, Sugar Pop! (Amalia’s probably out there somewhere, calling Michelle “Lollipop” as I write this!) 😀
You echo my thoughts. Sadly, the ones who really need to embrace your truth live in a fist-pumping vacuum. My world is shrinking as I avert my eyes from the shitstorm they call the “news” and focus on family, friends and sunshine while we got it. Fuck ’em. You keep doing what you do, and thank you for doing it.
Thank you so much! And yes..I am avoiding as much news as I can because it’s vomit inducing.
I agree with you 100 percent. I just shared your post on facebook. I hope that’s OK.
Oh yes..I LOVE IT when people share! Thank you!
Fear seems to be everywhere now days – we have it in Australia too (and we’re a million miles away from everyone) It’s a byproduct of hate and evil and I’m not sure where it’s all going but it’s not nice at all 🙁
No, it’s really not. It’s terribly upsetting.
Hi. I’m new to your blog, and I love it. You speak truth. I have to pass on a friend of a friend story. So, this FOAF and her husband happened to have bought new living room furniture. That night the FOAF’s husband had to wake her up out of a nightmare and before she was fully conscious she screamed at him “Aaaaaa!! There are Republicans in the La-Z-Boys!!!!”
Yr fan Anne, aka El Marvino, Scourge of the Plains
HAHAHHAHA…OMG…republicans in the Lazy Boys. That is priceless.
I was just about to write a blog post about how scared I am and how scared everyone else should be. Seriously. Scared that we will elect a dangerous narcissist as President. Then I read this and I don’t want to be a fear monger either. But I also feel this urgency to make people realize the danger of what is happening and what could happen. There are a lot of things I fear about Trump, but a big one, on a selfish level is my son. My healthy, strapping teenage son who I don’t want to see get shuffled off to some insane war that our crazy president got us in to. I shouldn’t have watched the convention last night. I’m not in a good place. Sorry. I’m fear mongering here on your blog now. Shit.
No..no, I get that. I am TERRIFIED of what will happen if he is elected. I feel that it a very real threat. THAT is the threat..not the made up bullshit that they are peddling.
Amen! And thank you. As usual, you are the voice of reason.
Thank you, sweetness!
Haha! cheeto head! I love it.
The cheeto-headed bullies who are trying to divide us have a lot in common with the other bullies in history (and in the present) and their fear mongering. ISIL, for instance, and the other Islamic extremists use fear mongering to promote their ranks, as do the Christian extremists of the past and the present.
Given the choice between spending an hour with a cheeto head or anyone who reads this blog, I choose you and the sandbox.
<3
Thank you. There is plenty of room here!
Thank you for this – I’ve shared it on FB as well. So much truth! It seems we get closer and closer to the reality of Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” every day, doesn’t it? I am hoping that sanity prevails this November, because god help us all if the inmates take over the asylum.
Holy shit! I have said the exact same thing. That The Handmaid’s Tale wasn’t supposed to be a goddamn training manual. Thank you so much for sharing.
I so hope people don’t listen to the Cheeto headed nugget, please let them not make the same mistake as people here…and now we are sending Boris forth to insult the rest of the world he’s managed not to upset yet.
I wish I could go back to my sandbox and never leave it!
Sister, I HOPE that people here will not make the same mistake. I didn’t think there was a chance in hell that he could win…I still don’t think he will, but I’m not so sure that is a certainty.
No, I’m not so sure either, not since the lunacy here. That would be all the world needs!
We’re already in very dark days. I can’t imagine how much more bleak it would be.
My dad always says ‘People are divided by politicians and priests, therefore we don’t join any parties, nor religious communities.’ Amen
smart plan. 🙂
Well said! Climbing in the sand box with my grandson right now!
Thank you!! Playing in the sand is awesome.
What the GOP doesn’t want people to notice is that things are measurably better right now than they were in ’08 (and have actually been improving, albeit slowly for a long time.) So they make up things to be scared of to make voters feel they need a “strong leader” which they can provide. But seriously, Trump, a strong leader? They didn’t want him, but he’s who their voters picked. I agree that the biggest thing to be afraid of is if they win. With majorities in congress, say hello to Paul Ryan’s budget, and say goodbye to social security, medicare, and medicaid. And don’t even get me started on the supreme court… Which reminds me, I’m ranting about politics on your blog, and I said I wouldn’t do that, so here is Molly Ivins saying what you just said in her inimitable way (I miss her soooo much):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXToviObdoA
There is much to be afraid of..it’s just that people are afraid of the GOPs made up shit…They don’t care about us. They don’t want to help us. And trump is just a fucking joke. A bad, not funny, horrible joke.
We don’t have much to be afraid of if we just vote. And I hate to say this, but I really need you to vote, because you live in Ohio. California is a reliable win for us, but I vote anyway, but if we win Ohio, we’re all good…
And please watch the Molly video, it will make you feel better, I promise.
Dude, the only thing that could keep me from voting is a coma or death. Ohio is very important. I hope we do the right thing again.
yup. w/ you sister. just want to build sand castles and ignore the crazy-making, fear-mongering bullies.
I’ll bring the shovel.
Wow! Couldn’t have said it better!! Nuf said….
Thank you!!
So beautifully written!! The GOP has always used fear to try and obtain power–Trump is no different he is just on steroids. They are just a bunch of paranoid fucks trying to spread the paranoia everywhere else. I say we should have pumped the convention hall with Haldol through the AC ducts. They are such a scary bunch!
They really are!! And thank you!
I watched parts of the convention. I usually do not watch much reality TV but I was compelled like looking at a car wreck. A grudge match, a rebuffed man kiss , some pretty articulate loving daughters and sons eulogizing and a yelling tirade, it was pure theater without any substance. The house band was good.
I only saw a few brief clips and they were just perplexing.
Michelle, I agree there is too much fear placed on everyone. I know that we do have horrible things going on around us and we should be aware of them, but we cannot stop living our lives and doing the things we love to do. Freedom is our gift by living in the U.S. and we should enjoy evry minute of it. Do not let anyone tell you you can’t play here, or that you can’t party here, live!. There is nothing promised to any of us and we have to enjoy the time we are given, so laugh and be silly for today. Thanks , your fellow blogger.
🙂
Thank you so much! And yes, I agree.
I think the less knowledgeable people are, the easier they are frightened by a bombastic fear-monger. We should be afraid, very afraid – not of the things he tells us to fear, but of fear itself. You are absolutely right – our greatest threat is divisiveness and racism and bigotry. And yet there are so many who are blinded by trump’s evil plan. He reminds me of a repairman who comes to your house to fix some minor problem and then begins to “find” all sorts of things that absolutely must be fixed or this, this, and this is going to happen and how awful all that will be. He totally frightens you to death, and then tells you, but don’t worry because all you have to do is hire him, he’s one who can fix it. Who would fall for that? Oh, right, hundreds of Americans. Which is what I fear more than anything else – that donald trump will actually win this election.
I am actually terrified of that. It’s really affecting me. I just want this shit over with.
That is so true. Right now I’m pretty content playing in my sandbox ignoring all the hoo haa that is happening in the world around me. Some may see that as me being an ostrich and burying my head in the sand but I see it as not letting that stuff that I have no control over, control my life.
Have the BESTEST day xox
THank you, sweetness…Here’s to a good week for both of us!