How did this happen?

Someone commented on a recent post I wrote on how much thought goes into what I write. Well really everything I do. When I sat down this morning, the 9th of November 2016 I intentionally did not turn on the TV or go to any of the news media's webpages to find out who the next President of the United States will be. I know it is one of two people neither of which I voted for. I thought about that very seriously. Here is what I decided:

The reason I did not vote for either of the main candidates was that I felt that neither of them were the best choice. No amount of commercials or phone calls to my house could make me choose. I would get the question, "if the election was today who would you choose." and my answer every time was I don't know.

I had considered the lesser of two evil approach which maybe that would have been better but I don't know who won so I don't know the answer to that. I could have helped one or the other out since I know as of last night Florida was a state that they were very close in the polls and returns. But that should not be the approach we take in electing our President. I also considered the fact that I always thought a woman would be a good President but I don't know that the woman running was the candidate I wanted to choose.

In my life I have voted in almost all the elections since I turned 18 and it got to the point where the percentage of people voting was so small that there were times that I thought why doesn't everyone take this seriously. Well... Now will the rest of this country take elections seriously. You have a right to vote being a citizen of this country but you also have an obligation to help select the next "Leader of the Free World". I don't want to be embarrassed by things that our President says and does. One of the candidates has already spent time in the White House and had embarrassing moments there already. Did we really want more of that? Or do we want a business person who's ethics were lost before Millennials were even born. One way or another one of them will be sworn into office in January.

People often say life was better when I was a kid. I had freedom to go outside and play til the street lights came on and my parents didn't worry that I had been abducted. Even people who have lived through times of war in this country saw the good in the times that people helped each other out. Women went to work to support the war effort. Everyone was doing their part. Victory gardens and tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree. Times were hard but life was simple.

I know we can't go back but kids today don't know any better. If I never again see an ad on TV talking bad about another candidate I will be happy. How did we get to this point? I tried this past week to look up information on a candidate for Sheriff here where I live and his entire webpage was dedicated to the wrong doings of the other candidate. I couldn't find any information on his webpage about him. Instead of spending money on talking bad about someone else please tell me the good that you can do or have already done.

So here is my idea for running for office. If every time someone offered money for your election campaign you said donate that money to a local charity instead of all the millions of dollars spent on negative ad campaigns we could have provided charities all across this country with money that maybe they could do some good with, instead of padding the TV and Print Ad companies pockets.
I think if $100,000 is donated in the name of your campaign word will get out that you are doing some good in the world and not bad talking the other candidates.

I know in this day and age that what ever bad you have done in your life is probably already on the internet and that is probably the reason people that could be excellent candidates for office decide not to run because maybe they have dirty laundry and don't want it strewn across their front yard for everyone to see. But I guess we have 4 more years to think about all of this and see if we can get collective heads off of the internet and back to real life and realize that this isn't reality TV this is for real and one of those two people will now become our next President.

Our children or grandchildren will study this election and ask how did it happen? And hopefully we will be able to show the good that comes from the error in our ways. God Bless America.

Soup of the Day

Here I am at almost 5 o'clock in the morning thinking about soup? Some of you are shaking your head and thinking now I know she has lost it. That is funny losing it. Somethings your happy to lose like 20 lbs but  you may be furious when you lose your wallet. Either way you no longer have something you used to. There are people out there that would be thrilled to gain 20 lbs and some that would be thrilled to find their wallet. I am trying to learn to live with the things I find and accept that the things I have lost are gone.

When you toss a coin either way it lands someone wins and someone loses. It is never going to end on it's side and be a draw. Lately a lot of people believe we should toss again because the flip did not land their way. This is how I got to soup of the day.

Soups are of two basic kinds water base or cream based. You can add the same vegetables or meats and spices to both and you end up with two totally different things. Manhattan clam chowder or New England clam chowder. They are both made with clams but some will not eat one but love the other. Some people will not eat tomato soup with water added and some will not eat the tomato soup with cream added. I am of the school if I do not have cream to add I will add water. I just want tomato soup with my grilled cheese. Oh my we can not discuss grilled cheese. Because do I want brie, or mozzarella or American cheese. Do we want organic cheese or pasteurized cheese slices that I am not sure actually have any cheese in them at all but the label says they have milk. Hmm so why would you not eat tomato soup with milk or cream but you will eat the grilled cheese that is not even made with cheese but the label says it has milk in it?

So am I really pondering this morning about soup and grilled cheese. Well no. I am pondering love and hate. Which I have always said are really not that far apart. They are both based on passion. Because if you are not passionate about whatever the subject you will neither love it nor hate it. Now I am also of the school that I try very hard not to say that I hate anything. Even people. I mean I am no better or worse than anyone else so yes I do love and at times I do hate but I really try not to be so passionate towards the one end of the scale. Now I don't really care if you hate tomato soup and grilled cheese. Even if it is my favorite comfort food. Just more for me if you don't want to share in it. You can take it or leave it. Either way I am still going to take what I want and leave what I don't.

As you all know I do not watch the news anymore. Most of my news comes from social media which at times I can take it or leave it. Sometimes I have to leave it alone for a while as well. Mostly because of love and hate. Because people feel like the things that they love are right and the things others love are wrong.
How could that be? Isn't all love good. Well no. A very bad type of love just came to my mind that I will not share because well that is how I am. I may even think that I would hate people that choose that kind of love and am I right or wrong.? You don't know because you don't know what I am talking about.

See lately a lot of people have been showing their love and their hate for lets say chicken soup all over the internet. I am sick of chicken soup and tomorrow or today I am going to get broccoli cheese soup or french onion soup. The funny thing about soup is you can choose whatever kind you like but some restaurants are not going to serve both. Hmm. Why do they hate chicken noodle? What did the chicken noodle soup do to them. Well some will not eat it because it has chicken in it and they are vegetarians. Ok by me. Eat carrot soup. If you don't want to go to that restaurant because they do not serve carrot soup it is ok by me as well.

Same can be said for being American most of us love the freedom that comes with being an American. Some of our ancestors gave up everything for the hope of more. More freedom, more jobs, more money. Or maybe better working conditions and better housing conditions. But as they find out once they landed in our great land the streets are not paved with gold. And to have more freedom does not mean it is easier to always find a job with better working conditions or housing that is of a higher standard.

I have always thought it strange that at this time of the morning there is someone on tv somewhere asking you to give to a charity to help children in another country get the food and water they so desperately need. But rarely do you see someone asking you to help the children across the street that may not have food or clean water to drink. So why. Why do we spend money on teaching children in other parts of the world of democracy but here we teach the children how to take a test.

I could go on and on asking why. Why citizens of this country fight and die for freedom half way around the world but it is ok if you express your freedom in your yard but if your neighbor wants to express their freedom you throw a flag and say hey I do not share your passion for your freedom so I do not want it in your yard. How dare you eat chicken noodle soup in your house I am a vegetarian. Yet our sons and daughters go half way around the world so the people have the freedom to eat whatever soup is put in front of them and they are thrilled just to have the soup.

So my soup of the day is both political and religious and it represents people everywhere. Just let your neighbor eat their soup and Love thy neighbor. Someday you may need them to bring you soup and that day you will be thankful that they cared enough to bring whatever soup they had for you but you will also have the freedom to choose not to eat it.