A collection of thoughts and experience.

July 4 parade, celebration … encountered a tarot card reader, obviously hard up for clientele, insisted she wanted to clear ‘evil eyes’ from me. Got cleansed via Reiki, am apparently ‘energetically free’, and actually do feel better. That could be the margarita, though.

I feel called to tell some of my readers to not let others define you. Cease listening to those around you, letting them define who you are, what your limits are. Stop asking for assessments. You know who you are. You know your potential. Stop doubting yourself. Manifest better for your future. Don’t let others set limits, ingrain doubts about your abilities. Defy their expectations. I’ll bet you have done so many times, if you are honest with yourselves. Leverage those successes. Even friends can end up clipping your wings. Fly free.

Anger. I had an epiphany about this earlier today. A memory triggered by a video, remembering how my late father would lose his temper, how that anger would frighten me to death. How vulnerable, how threatened. For this reason, I have never gotten angry on my own; only in response to others’ anger. And only in a way that is laser-focused on the wrong interpretations that anger stems from. Never violent (except when women and children are violently threatened). Considering leaning into this a little more; others use anger as a power to generate change in their lives and their circumstances. Never really pondered using this for myself, because of this unconscious dislike. If one can harness it properly, use that power for ‘good’, for benefit, one might make larger waves in this world. This will sound weird to many, but you’ve seen my portraits. I look more and more like him as time passes. My old man had a browline like thunder; Zeus could not scare me more than ol’ Dad, much as I loved him. Seeing that resemblance in the mirror is both great potential … and solemn warning.

Speaking of larger waves, there’s a question hanging in my mind. How many others remember in the 90’s, Newt Gingrich saying that the seeking of a ban on abortion would *not* be a slippery slope to limiting contraception?

If you remember that, or even if you don’t, consider this: Given the MAGA (maggot) presumption of the benefits of authoritarianism after November … how far, how easy will be the slippery slope to gas chambers for immigrants, LGBTQ and liberals in general? Look at how America has changed, and ask yourself this question seriously. I am in earnest. We are Germany in the 30’s, January 6 could end up being another Beer Hall Putsch. And if they tell you there’s no slippery slope here - who in all hells would ever believe them?

That’s probably enough to offend everyone in my readership for this evening.

Enjoy the rest of your Fourth.

Given Zari’s sensitivities to fireworks after experiencing January 1 in Austin (sounded like the invasion of Iraq for the entire night), I don’t expect to get a wink of sleep.