Integrity

Mockery – ND #105

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 1 Comment
Twisting the Process and Making a Mockery – Photo: L. Weikel

Mockery

I’m trying really hard to stay away from commenting on the confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. The mockery that’s being made of this process, our judiciary, our Senate, and our country as a whole is at once infuriating and devastatingly sad. It’s also just plain wrong.

It is maddening to witness the histrionics and pearl clutching these Republican Senators are engaging in, when the entire time, they are brazenly accusing Democrats of doing precisely what Republicans did. Over and over again, too. While their whataboutisms are astoundingly off-base and hypocritical, they engage in them nevertheless.

It’s exhausting.

They Count On That

And the depressing thing is, they count on regular people becoming exhausted by their endless switching things around, denying things, and harping on snippets of information they very cynically mischaracterize and then propagandize until the cows come home.

Is this any way to run a country? Is this any way to rule the world? (Apparently some think it is: the Putins, Xes, Trumps, and Kim Jong Uns of the world, to name a few.) It’s not the way our country is supposed to operate, but when civility and the ability to agree upon fundamental tenets of reality and facts disappear, we end up with performative government. And that’s where we are today.

It’s never a good sign when I yell at the tv. And, to be fair, I engage in that extreme behavior far less often than I used to, when we were subjected to TFG’s relentless lying on a regular basis (i.e., whenever we turned the tv on and news came on). But it’s extremely difficult to refrain from berating the garbage being broadcast when I see white men with pedigreed educations acting as if they can’t read or have lost all ability to hold a reasonable thought in their heads. Or whining and grandstanding about how other candidates were treated. (Less qualified and credibly accused of awful behavior that should have been investigated, too.)

As if any of that has an iota of relevance to, or can be opined on, by the current nominee.  And Marsha Blackburn trying to ‘trap’ the judge by asking her to define ‘woman.’ Good grief. I just can’t.

Performative Ignorance

It enrages me to hear Ted Cruz or anyone else bring up Critical Race Theory and act as if they don’t understand what it is or that it is taught in graduate school (not grade or high school). And even if it were taught in high school, for instance, it is telling the truth about racism in our country. And it describes how racism has been perpetuated and built into the fabric of our country to such an extent that we don’t even realize its profound implications or insidious effects.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. I do not know how Black women (especially) maintain such an overall calm and patience with the state of life in the United States. Their husbands and sons are at risk when they walk out the door. Hell – let’s face it. Black people and people of color aren’t safe in their own houses. And yes, I know they’re not monolithic. But it’s also true that there is a ton of shared trauma and outrage amongst them.

How do they abide this, day in and day out?

And now, to watch the utterly disgusting double standard being heaped upon this Supreme Court nominee simply because she is a black woman?

I’m ashamed of the level to which our country has sunk. I would pity the obvious insecurities of Republican party members if I weren’t so incensed that they’ve sold our country out on so many levels.

Oops

I guess the rant escaped anyway.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson needs to be confirmed. She deserves a unanimous consent. Anyone voting against this eminently qualified individual is afraid she will treat them the way she has been treated. Luckily for them, she has integrity.

We need to pay attention. The fringe is getting perilously close to seizing the reins of power.

(T+105)

Power of Intention – ND #3

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
More than wishes – Photo: L. Weikel

Power of Intention

I think most of us are at least tangentially familiar with the concept of setting intentions in order to accomplish goals or manifest the reality we want to experience. If you’ve read a bunch of my posts, you know I tend to harp on the importance of setting intentions at particularly auspicious times of the month and year. And if you’re familiar with shamanic journeying, you know it’s important (essential in my opinion) to always have an intention before setting out to visit other realms. The power of intention has the capacity to yield astonishing results in our lives.

The truth of this was dramatically borne out in a movie we watched recently. King Richard is about Richard Williams, the father of tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams. Will Smith plays the girls’ father and it’s obvious why he there’s a lot of Oscar buzz around his performance.

Even if you’re not ‘into’ tennis, it’s unlikely you’ve never heard of Venus and Serena. Not only are they each phenomenal in their own right, the fact that they are sisters and they’ve both dominated the sport for years, is downright spectacular.

Having a Plan

Especially when Venus and Serena were just breaking onto the tennis scene, I remember reading or hearing about their father being ‘difficult.’ At least that’s how I remember it being spun. I remember wondering, vaguely, if he was one of those weird ‘stage fathers’ who browbeats their kids and makes life miserable for them all in the pursuit of dominance in the sport.

To be honest, I didn’t really care all that much one way or another. We only watched tennis matches when visiting my sister Jane on the 4th of July. Wimbledon was on the menu every single year, along with lobster and corn on the cob. But watching them play through the years – wow. It was obvious they were incredible athletes. And their behavior off-court was equally impressive. I don’t remember ever seeing them misbehave or act out like the John McEnroes of tennis.

Perhaps because my interest in their story was tangential at best, I had no idea how they came to be who they are. And believe me, their father was the man with the plan – he set the initial intention that created the opportunities his daughters capitalized on through hard work and sheer talent and intuition. (And not an insignificant amount of intention setting on their own part, too.)

Family

What I think I loved most about this movie – beyond the gobsmacking tenacity of the father and talent of the girls – was the way their whole family was so loving and supportive of each other. As trite as these qualities have become through overhyping in the media (often by those who don’t live them), love, respect, and integrity honestly seem to be core values of the Williams family.

And lest you think it was all ‘King Richard’ who made it happen, I beg to differ. No, this was most definitely a collaborative effort of both parents and the three older sisters, too.

It was amazing to watch how perilously close things came – at least a couple of times – to a totally different destiny playing out for the entire family. I have to wonder if at least some of the ‘luck’ was a function of the power of the intention set by Richard Williams himself (and which obviously ‘rubbed off’ on his girls).

King Richard is streaming on HBO Max right now. It looks like it’ll only be available on that venue for another seven or eight days. (I’m not sure how that works or why that’s the case.) If you want to be inspired by greatness and perhaps moved to hone your own power of intention, watch this movie.

(T+3)

Sleep Well – Day 801

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Tigger Sleeping Well – Photo: L. Weikel

Sleep Well

There’s nothing I can say tonight that can do justice to the spectacular nature of today’s events. My heart is full, my unabashed idealism stoked. I’m speechless, but undaunted in my desire to revel in the hope that’s been renewed in my soul. Tonight, at least, this household will sleep well.

There were so many moments. All day. Culminating in the single most amazing fireworks display I’ve ever seen. I only wish I could’ve been there to witness them personally, to feel their reverberations, and to immerse myself in their brilliance.

I can honestly say that in all my 61 years on this planet, I’ve never felt so invested in witnessing inaugural pomp, circumstance, and festivities as I did this year. Right down to the swearing in of the thousand or so people starting new jobs in the administration today who will be carrying forward the day-to-day work of getting the government working for us, the people, once again. I felt my heart flutter when I heard President Biden welcome and celebrate these civil servants and simultaneously let them know they would be summarily fired if found to be disrespecting or denigrating constituents. Accountability. Yes. May it be brought to every level of our government, especially the highest.

Precious Sleeping Well – Photo: L. Weikel

Back to Basics

President Biden brought some simple yet inarguably powerful concepts to the fore today, concepts that if honored can restore us from the ground up: Unity. Truth. Respect. And while he didn’t use the word very often, a sense of LOVE wove its way through every sentence he spoke.

Not the wet-lick-in-the-ear understanding of love we may be tempted to default to when we hear that word. I mean a higher order of love. A love that is founded upon respect, that embraces facts and tells the truth, and a love that cherishes our differences because they are what make us stronger because we each bring to the table something no one else can. Unity in diversity.

E pluribus unum. Out of many, one.

Cletus (Probably Faking It) – Photo: L. Weikel

Top Down

Even beyond all the words (and wow, speaking of words – Amanda Gorman was absolutely brilliant and a testament to the reason why we have no choice but to have faith in and hope for our future), the most striking lesson from everything we witnessed today was just how much power, authority, and influence those who occupy the highest positions carry.

We take our cues from those we choose to lead us. We look to them for confirmation of what we know, deep down, is right and true. If compassion is their watchword, we feel comfortable expressing it toward each other and ourselves. If they tell us the truth, we learn to trust not only them (whether it’s good news or bad) but also our own ability to handle that truth. We realize we’re resilient.

When kindness and grace is displayed by those we hold in highest regard, we emulate it. When we see with our own eyes the power that simple acts of goodness confers, we’re changed. We’re inspired.

Never underestimate the power of a leader who leads by example of both head and heart.

Perhaps we’re ready now to appreciate just that.

One thing I know: we’ll all sleep well tonight with people like President Biden and Vice President Harris leading the way into our future.

Spartacus Zonked – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-310)

Count Every Vote – Day 724

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Sign in Bucks County, PA – Photo: L. Weikel

Count Every Vote

I want to believe in the integrity of our fellow citizens. I want our citizens and the world to believe in our system. So it goes without saying: I want Pennsylvania and every state to count every vote.

I want to remain hopeful. I’ll admit it: I’m an idealist. Particularly as an attorney, I’ve believed in the principles upon which our country was founded. I’ve also been proud to be part of the system that was developed to implement those principles.

Crisis Brewing

This afternoon, Karl and I bucked our weariness from working the election at our polling place yesterday and attended a rally in Doylestown. The premise was simple: every vote should be counted. This is a fundamental precept of our society. We’re all supposed to have a stake in this country.

Feeling the sunshine warm upon my face, it was heartening to realize that there are young people and older folks – and lots in between – who still care enough to come together to unify around a single purpose as important as the voice of the electorate.

There was a collective hiss from the crowd when it was announced that Eric Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi had gathered in Philadelphia  – just as we were gathered where we were – to announce their filing of a lawsuit on behalf of DT to essentially stop counting valid ballots of Pennsylvania citizens who cast their ballots by mail. Talk about irony.

I know I’ve said this before, but I’m going to say it again: working collectively to stand up to power is thrilling and inspiring. The practice of walking our talk brings the entire process home and pulls it into your heart and soul.

Photo: L. Weikel

It’s Not Over

While we may need a day or two to recuperate from the sheer physicality of the past few days (weeks, and months), including loss of sleep, it’s important to remember that we need to follow through on our beliefs.

We need to figure out a whole bunch of things, not least being how we’re going to take what’s been exposed by the election of DT and figure out what his obvious appeal is revealing. It’s shocking, I think, to most of us that so many were so willing to re-elect him.

I only hope they did not succeed. But we really won’t know that until every vote is counted.

Count Every Vote Rally – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-387)

Eve of Our Future – Day 722

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Rainbow Selfie – with Kamala at our backs – Photo: L. Weikel

Eve of Our Future

Well, we’re finally here. The time to stand up and be counted, to let ourselves and the world know where we’re headed, has arrived. We’re here. We’ve arrived at the eve of our future.

What will that future look like? I don’t need to tell you. We all know the consequences – some of them immediate – of the choices we’ll be making tomorrow.

We either repudiate what’s been done in our name over the past four years (regardless of how well our portfolios or 401(k)s may have done – that is, if we’re lucky enough to have either) or we don’t. We either show the world 2016 was an aberration, a ‘black swan event,’ or we don’t. We either take a stand against some of the most barbaric, egregious policies and behaviors of any government, much less our own – or we don’t. We either commit to being a global partner and leader in addressing climate change, or we make it worse.

I could go on.

Justice, Integrity, Truth, and Respect

These are the qualities on the ballot tomorrow. And while we yearn to have these values restored within the White House, I sense there’s an even deeper craving for these values to be declared far and wide – and modeled everywhere – as qualities inherent in the way Americans treat each other.

What do we have to lose if we don’t vote, or if vote to retain the current president? E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. He has declared his intentions. Are we listening? There are precious few who will benefit, while vast swaths of our country fall into abject misery.

Love, Compassion, and the Power of Diversity

I believe in us. I believe in our dignity and devotion to higher ideals than the value of the stock market or the country of our origin. I believe that deep down, all of us yearn to be treated with love and compassion. I believe in the wisdom of our forebears who succinctly espoused the greatest strength of our nation: e pluribus unum. “Out of many, one.”

Kamala Harris – Photo: L. Weikel

Rare Treat

As you’ve adroitly surmised from the accompanying photos, Karl and I were invited to an event today featuring vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Taking in the entire milieu as we waited for Representative Wild, Senator Casey, and others to arrive and speak, I will admit to feeling an overflow of emotion. Not wild abandon. Not screaming passion.; but a wellspring of hope and yearning for aspirational governance.

Speaker after speaker, from activists to representatives, spoke with conviction, yes. Each spoke with passion, a sense of commitment to change, and a demand for inclusion and diversity. But there was one thing not a single one of them brought to the table: cynicism.

Kamala Harris – 2 November 2020 – Photo: L. Weikel

Kamala Harris

I’ve paid attention to our politics. I knew from her resume and the interviews and debates I watched that Kamala Harris is a strong candidate. But there’s something extra you feel when you experience candidates up close and personal. It’s hard to define, but you feel their energy, perhaps a bit more of their essence.

And I couldn’t help but feel we were getting a chance to truly view the Eve of our future.

It’s time.

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-389)

Love, Hope, and Light – Day 648

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment

 

Rays of Light – Photo: L. Weikel

Love, Hope, and Light

What an exceptional capstone to a remarkably challenging and unconventional Democratic Convention. I can honestly say that even four years ago, I don’t think I would’ve believed I’d hear so many politicians use the concepts of love, hope, and light, as the fundamental and most powerful arguments for their case to the American public.

Most shocking of all, to me, is the unabashed hue and cry for more love. Love for our country. Love for each other. Just typing these words makes my heart quicken and my breath catch in my throat.

I’ll admit it. I was a little nervous that Joe Biden would falter or come across as lackluster or perhaps lagging just half a beat off this evening. Perhaps this was because I heard him speak in Philadelphia back in September at the first ever Workers’ Presidential Summit, and while his sincerity was unquestionable (and his experience unassailable), he seemed tired. And maybe he was. I, for one, do not know how any of the candidates managed to criss-cross the nation and maintain the energy and enthusiasm called for to address tens, hundreds, and thousands of people day in and day out.

Clarity, Courage, and Fire

But when all was said and done, Joe got it done. And I guess that’s what being a leader for the times is all about. It’s doing what needs to be done when the moment presents itself. It’s seizing the opportunity when the gauntlet is thrown and coming through not only for yourself but for everyone who yearns for clarity, courage, and the fire to fight for all of us.

Speaking of clarity, courage, and fire, I doubt there was anyone who watched 13 year old Brayden Harrington metaphorically walk on a bed of hot coals in front of the entire nation (and probably not a small part of the entire world) and was not blown away by his unbelievable courage and grace. That segment spoke volumes about the character of both Joe Biden and Brayden Harrington, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget the powerful impact it made on me.

Rays of Hope and Light

I don’t have words that can improve upon this evening’s final speech. So I just want to leave you with this quote:

“Let us begin, you and I, together. One nation under God, united in our love for America, united in our love for each other. For love is more powerful than hate; hope is more powerful than fear; and light is more powerful than dark.

This is our moment. This is our mission.

May history be able to say that the end of this chapter of American darkness began here – tonight.”

– Joseph Biden

May it be be so.

Rays of Hope – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-463)

Ford v Ferrari – Day 609

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Forbes.com

Ford v Ferrari

Karl and I watched the movie Ford v Ferrari tonight on HBO.

I think Karl was pretty surprised that I suggested we watch it. To be honest, it wasn’t a move either one of us would think we’d be interested in. While I love to drive – and stick is best – I am definitely not a racecar fan.

I suggested it because I like the actors who star in it (Matt Damon and Christian Bale) and I knew it had produced some Oscar nominations. But I have to say, I didn’t expect to be writing a post about it.

What a good movie, though! I love it when we start watching a production hoping for the best but not having the highest of expectations. It’s great to be pleasantly surprised.

The Choices We Make

It’s a true story, or at least it’s factually based on the lives of two men, Carroll Shelby, a race car designer and builder, and Ken Miles, a daring and skilled race car driver. The drama was tight and definitely relatable, especially with respect to the pressure brought to bear on the pair from corporate suits at Ford.

Indeed, that aspect was maddening.

But when all was said and done, the choices each made in the moment stuck with me. They caused me to think about life and what we do with the time we’re given here on Earth. What values and talents do we hope to pass on to our kids? What’s really important to each of us in the long run? I know, typical annoying questions you’d expect me to ask.

Yet I ask that them not only with respect to the choices made by the characters in the movie, but also with respect to our own legacies.

Our Choices Define Us

The driver, Ken Miles, is certainly depicted as a guy who drove hard but was intimately tuned to the machine he was driving. He could read the cars he drove better than most of us read our own bodies. And he achieved some milestones with those cars that obviously made a difference, especially in the trajectory and legacy of the Ford Motor Company. I can only imagine how proud his wife and son were – and are – of him. Certainly they must be gratified that his story is being told.

And yet I suspect many people unfamiliar with the racing world would never have heard of him had it not been for this movie. And even if everyone knew his name at one point (in the ‘60s), it seems to only take a couple of decades or so for people to forget.

Most pertinent of all, at least from how he is depicted in this movie, I doubt Ken Miles ever imagined a movie would be made about him, his choices, and his role in the competition between Ford and Ferrari.

All Around Us

All around us there are people living extraordinary lives who probably appear ordinary to many of their peers. Indeed, perhaps many of us sharing these posts are living such lives.

It makes me think about the stories we hold close to the vest. Why we make the choices we do. Who cares and who will remember?

In any given moment, it seems like the true measure of who we are resides in the choices we make when we think no one will ever know and no one will ever care.

In the end, if we’re not true to ourselves, then why bother?

(T-502)

Rain to Ice – Day 543

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Photo: L. Weikel

Rain to Ice

As I sit here trying to decide which of the myriad emotions I’ve felt today I want to express in this post, I hear a whoosh of what I think is the wind. But it’s not the wind. It’s rain.

But the rain isn’t steady. It sounds as if only some of the clouds blowing through are filled with moisture too heavy to contain. Other clouds just pass right by. I can feel a distinct shift in the air, though. Markedly cooler air wafts in through the screen of the open front door.

This is just the beginning of a wild weekend, weather-wise.

It’s May, right? May 8th, in fact, in this crazy year of 2020.

Perspective via Polar Vortex

We’ve had one of the mildest winters I can remember, so of course there’s a “freeze” warning in effect for tomorrow night into Saturday. And of course, while my area will probably ‘only’ get a coating of ice, northeastern Pennsylvania and points north, including much of New York state, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont are bracing for 6-8” of snow, and even as much as a foot of heavy, wet stuff in some areas.

Hopefully, people won’t lose their electricity to downed wires caused by the storm.

It seems we keep getting reminders on the importance of perspective. If we start paying attention to what’s going on around us, perhaps we’ll stop thinking, “Things can’t get any worse.” Because it’s precisely when we make that cavalier statement that we’re often given a good dose of “Oh yeah?”

What is True

There’s a lot going on out there that’s escaping our perception. We’re being bombarded. We need to keep our wits. We need to remember what’s important. We need to take deep stock of ourselves and who we trust.

Everything we believed we knew for sure is being challenged right now.

We need to stick together. We need to be there for each other. This is when our integrity shines through and calls us to perhaps take leaps into an unknown we never thought we would.

We must stop denying what we see with our very own eyes. This really is as bad as we feel, deep down inside. Does the rain need to turn to ice in May? Do we really need to experience even worse before we wake up and See?

Tigger – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-568)

Because Right Matters – Day 438

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Another Hawk – today – Photo: L. Weikel

Because Right Matters

Watching Rep. Adam Schiff and the other House Managers present their case before the Senate over the past few days has been, at least for this legal and political nerd, riveting.

Their preparation’s been impeccable; their presentation masterful. I could only wish to be even half as persuasive and compelling an orator as Mr. Schiff.

I’m feeling that sense of yearning to be more than I am particularly this evening. As a citizen of the United States, listening to Schiff’s final entreaty to the Senate earlier tonight, I felt a tidal wave of patriotism welling up in my heart. YES. These are the ideals on which our country was founded. These are the fundamental values that I was raised on – and that I believed I would be upholding when I began my legal studies 40 years ago.

I doubt there are many people who listened to that closing argument this evening who could deny feeling a stirring within their hearts for a time when we felt it was our right to demand a higher standard of behavior from ourselves and our leaders.

How many of us yearn, right this very moment, for behavior from our leaders that renews our faith in the fundamental truth that what we do – how we behave when no one is watching – matters? That there are people who aspire to represent us in our government who actually do have a sense of serving a greater good than their own selfish, personal motives?

I’m Idealistic

Yes, I know. I’m idealistic. It’s true: in spite of everything I see unfolding before our eyes, I do not want to lose faith in our form of government. I do not want to lose faith in our elected representatives to do whatever they must to prevent our country from becoming a shell of its former self.

I want to believe that Mr. Schiff’s appeal to the idealist in all of us will compel those who’ve chosen a life of public service to put the fundamental values our country represents to our selves and to the world ahead of all other concerns.

Because right matters. If it doesn’t, we are lost.

If only we lived in Mr. Smith’s Washington*.

Maybe – just maybe – we do. Call your Senators.

*affiliate link

(T-673)

Trust – Day 422

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Photo: L. Weikel

Trust

If we can learn anything from this president, perhaps it is the pricelessness of one’s word.

In many ways, in spite of all the awful things I see emanating from this Administration, it’s the utter disregard for the most basic values and principles we try to teach our children from their earliest days that most upsets me.

I realize I’m not saying anything new. For instance, every one of you, I’m sure, is intimately familiar with the concept and value of telling the truth. It’s not even necessarily in the act of having the integrity and, indeed, telling the truth that most of the value is derived. No, the real value comes from the trust your pattern, your habit, of telling the truth engenders in those around you.

Trust. It is, quite simply, something that cannot be bought.

And if we’re not in the habit of telling the truth, we may realize  – too late – that we desperately need the trust that comes from telling the truth at a time or place in history when or where nothing can be done to regain what has been squandered.

A pattern of telling lies can easily come back to haunt anyone – but most particularly someone who depends upon the good will and trust of others. And sad to say, I believe our president has erroneously believed that he can rule (or perhaps more accurately ‘overrule’) everything simply by the power of his “say so.”

Trust. Integrity. Truth.

I yearn for the days when our word was our bond. I yearn for the days when people didn’t even consider lying as an option to get out of anything – particularly people operating at the highest levels of our government and serving as role models for our children, our culture, and the world.

Sometimes my idealism causes me a lot of pain.

But what do we do when someone has betrayed our trust time and time again? How do we deal with that person any further? How do we move forward with any modicum of trust? Is it trust but verify (our own president)? How do we even do that when there is such a blatant disregard for us and our right to know the truth?

That’s something we’re all having to face right now.

Here’s hoping when we wake tomorrow there’s been a de-escalation. Here’s hoping we all start to see and appreciate the value of telling the truth. And hold people accountable when they do not.

(T-689)