Yes, We Can Have Hope

Be the Change You Want to See in the World

Everyone remembers significant events that change our lives and remember where we were when it happened.

My first earthquake in LA in 1970

JFK was murdered on my 14th birthday

Vietnam war

AIDS epidemic

911

Katrina hurricane

Now the Corona virus 

We are somehow living through this time where everything is different. People are wearing homemade masks and gloves in public. We go to the grocery store and shelves are empty. Doctors appointments have been rescheduled. If we have a job, we are now working at home. Libraries, churches, beaches and banks are closed. All of the normal day to day routine and mundane things we do are not the same as they were just a few weeks ago. 

Our lives have been turned upside down, inside out. Mostly, we are bored, irritated, anxious, depressed, angry and afraid. We feel ripped into shreds, shattered into a million pieces. We can’t sleep worrying about will we survive this pandemic as a nation. Will we or our loved ones, friends, relatives, get sick. If we get sick, will we die. Have we enough food, water and toilet paper to survive months or years of being isolated and locked down. Are our neighbors, seniors, children and people without homes going to survive this. Will we have jobs (more people are now unemployed and filed for unemployment benefits than ever before. Have we enough money when most of us have lived paycheck to paycheck and will be ruined from one major emergency (with less than $400 saved). Can we ever have safe sex again. 

For the past few years, in my 60’s and as I turned 70, I have had to face my own mortality. At some point in life, we all do. I had to sleep in my car for the past few years and got very ill due to the sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, daily crises and stress from not feeling safe anywhere due to bans, discrimination and criminalization for being poor. Now everyone on earth including us Americans with our can do spirit are all facing our own mortality at the same time. 

As Americans we’ve always thought we were exceptional. Number one in the world. We lived in the greatest country on the planet. We were a superpower. Our national pride and ego have been continually assaulted over the years but nothing has brought us down to our knees like the 2016 election and this virus. We somehow survived 911 and Katrina, all of the wars and insane gun violence with school shootings and people gunned down in churches, synagogues, at public events like the Gilroy Garlic festival. We came together and helped one another. We rose up. We stepped up and supported each other throughout it all.  

But for the last few years, we’ve been arguing, fighting with one another and sometimes agreeing to disagree over our differences of opinion about politics, religion, the state or city where we live, our culture and everyday aspects of American lives. Our differences now seem monumental and are tearing some families and friends apart. No longer do we take for granted any and every aspect of our life. 

We have been and are being gaslighted, abused, told thousands of lies, and watching as our great democracy with all of its checks and balances that our Founding Fathers gave us is falling apart. Now it is being smashed to the ground, dismantled and destroyed right before our very eyes. We feel gutted, helpless, overwhelmed and exhausted. Who can we count on now that Congress does not seem able to do its job and the people in the White House are not only inept, ignorant, incompetent and reckless but seeking to profit from our casualties. Insanity reigns. Will 100,000 or 200,000 Americans die.

Already more Americans have died preventable deaths due to the unholy response to this virus than died during 911. 

In war and other disasters (nuclear catastrophes), there is talk of collateral damage (unintentional or accidental harm and damage to people or things that happens as a result of an action or event) and civilian casualties. How many people will survive. We are now somehow living our lives in a war zone, continually and constantly assaulted by our own government and its lack of competent federal response to this pandemic. 

His cult fans are in denial and going about their every day lives without concern for others, oblivious to the world around them, delusional and following their leader’s every nonsensical daily lies. His loyal yes men and woman and sycophants repeat his rantings and ravings and live in their own fake alternative facts reality. They convince no one but the most foolhardy amongst us. 

Nothing makes sense to the majority of us though. It is as if we have all been put through a blender and come out shaken and insecure. We try to focus on the positive things in life, beauty and kindness, compassion and love. But our insides have been scrambled like eggs and our thoughts are scattered and rambling. Our deepest fears have been triggered. We cannot remember and never will forget.

As a nation, we are experiencing PTSD regularly. We have been routinely traumatized while the mob boss, Russian asset, confidential informant in the White House blithely plays golf, holds TV rallies seeking praise for himself and revenge for his perceived enemies. He is cruel, sadistic and shows no remorse. We want a leader to comfort us. Instead, we have one who obeys orders from the Russians, Saudis, North Korea and China dictators. He pollutes our nation and gets away with crimes every single day. Like teflon nothing seems to stick to him. He continues to break laws and cultural norms without any consequences. His lawlessness is seemingly unstoppable. Where is the law and justice for us? 

Like abused children or spouses, we somehow muddle through, go on and try to get through this. In pain, hurt and terrified, we try to console one another. We make each other laugh online and through our precious comedians. We binge on movies and TV shows, chocolate and booze, baked goods and creative projects. We cook, clean, organize and try to normalize our lives. But our lives are no longer normal and we know it. We hope to recover some day but when will that be? Some day is the day in between Sunday and Monday. 

Deep down in our hearts we feel doomed. Sheep led to the slaughter. Like the German people under Hitler or Italians under Mussolini. First, Donald came for the Mexicans, Muslims, women, people of color, Asians, Jews, gay people, disabled, sick, elderly, children at the border, socialists, democrats, news media, poor people, homeless and now who is left? 

We try to hold on for one more day and hope somehow for a savior or saving grace. What can we as a nation do to overcome this war upon our very people. Some people are showing us the light, how to survive and are rising up. Some folks are banding together and sewing masks, volunteering their services, and working unspeakably long hours to serve us (doctors, nurses, aides, delivery drivers, cooks, and more). 

Hundreds of thousands of us talk about and have talked to lawyers about filing class action lawsuits against the RNC, Fox News and everyone in the Trump administration.  Also, governors, mayors and others who are being reckless with our lives.

Billionaires and millionaires could solve many of our problems. They could easily end homelessness, poverty and provide jobs and raise wages. Some like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is not paying his delivery drivers living wages and many are walking out. Other employers are laying workers off, do not pay taxes, are hoarding their own money and canceling benefits and health insurance leaving people in the lurch. Other scammers are profiting with fake cures. 

Some celebrities have offered token donations, like Oprah and Leo DiCaprio have given funds to feed children, seniors and others. More celebrities need to step up and could do so much more. A million dollars for Oprah is pocket change when she could easily house people (half a million folks are without homes in America and half of those are seniors) who are increasingly in danger. Oprah could house people like she did for some during the Katrina hurricane. A home for you, a home for you and a home for you. Or at the very least provide hotel rooms. 

There are very real threats to people’s lives, every single day they are without a roof over their heads.  Homeless shelters, streets, camps and cars are dangerous. People are without shelter, and have been dying, prematurely aging with illnesses and now have nowhere safe to be at home, nowhere safe to BE 24/7, 365 days.

People experiencing homelessness are more likely to catch COVID#19 and experience complications from it.  There is a disproportionate impact of COVID#19 on homeless populations that few are taking into consideration. 2,500 hotel rooms for 108,000+ Americans without homes in California, hardly does the job. Oakland, CA, New Orleans, a few in Chicago and Connecticut are providing hotel rooms but so much more needs to be done to house people. Sick folks during the AIDS epidemic were housed. This needs to happen now. The clock is running out, tick tock. People lives are at stake. We are in dire straits if and when we do not house people.

Housing is the best medicine and is a human right. 

Nearly half of older homeless people fell into trouble after 50

It is way overdue time for us to be BRUTALLY HONEST with ourselves and others and Wake Up. We must face the sad and horrible reality TV show we have been living and STAND UP AND DO SOMETHING TO OVERCOME IT NOW. Look in the mirror and stop pointing fingers at others. Take responsibility. Own This. How have you been part of the problem and not the solution. Yes, there are bad guys and that does not mean that we have not played our own role. No excuses for anyone. There are so many problems like poverty, homelessness, hunger, racism, sexism and abuse that we have NOT seriously been willing to deal with. We’ve been distracted, privileged and blamed others but that needs to STOP NOW. We can each individually and collectively face the bad inside and act for the good like Mother Theresa did.

She said that she saw the Hitler WITHIN herself and then turned around and did good. This may sound like hokey pokey drivel, inconvenient or uncomfortable nonsense, illogical and/or go against your anti-religious fervor and intellectual stance but it is time to Grow the F Up. We can continue to laugh at the toddler in diapers in the White House or we can BE the adults in the room for our nation, for our planet and for ourselves. Win win win.

Billionaire Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and investor on the TV show Shark Tank says the only thing going on right now is complete uncertainty. He encourages companies to do all they can to keep employees. Companies should reward stakeholders and employees with shareholders being at the back of the line. 

Cuban has “instead of leaving his hourly employees out to dry while the NBA goes on a 30-day hiatus, he has committed to paying scheduled event staff for the six home games that were supposed to take place. Staffers include security, police, parking attendants, housekeeping, in-arena entertainers, and more. He is encouraging people to help their neighbors where and when they can do so. 

‘His efforts are small compared to what’s needed to weather this storm.

“But Cuban’s response provides a model for others to be inspired by and follow. He acted creatively—figuring out how his generosity could be used to pay it forward, and decisively—curtailing panic that hourly employees would have inevitably felt.

“He didn’t wait for the government’s help to do any of it.

“When faced with a crisis where no one has been, everyone has a role to play, including millionaires and billionaires.”

California has the most billionaires in the country and the most people without homes. It is way overdue for billionaires to step up and pay their share in taxes, job relief and stop begging the government to be bailed out. The tax cut they received has helped their own business and corporations but not every day Americans who need assistance, now more than ever. 

We are not fooled by empty gestures, PR campaigns and pretending to do something that too many do. Enough is enough of agencies, nonprofits, charities and churches who are supposed to help people but provide little relief in comparison to the donations and grants they receive.

People who provide real solutions and assistance are rare and in high demand now. There is no more room for selfishness, greed and power plays. Give a damn and help someone else today. Even small gestures like my neighbor bringing me two roles of toilet paper and chocolate cookies last night meant a lot.

We need HOPE and inspiration and everyone can provide that if and when they choose to do so. We are Americans and need to tap into our CAN DO spirit more than ever. Wake up and help your neighbors. And pray as if your very life depended upon it. Pray to whoever you believe in for guidance and support, whether it be Jesus, God, Holy Spirit, your Higher Power, Soul or Spirit, God, Goddess, All That Is or a Divine Beloved. Ask for your dog, family, friends, cat, and others to be protected and filled with Light. Even if you don’t believe in prayer, you can meditate and find Peace Beyond Understanding Now. Lean on whoever floats your boat.

No human being is an island.