No, not the long suffering Alice of Ralph, but rather the Alice of Through the Looking Glass, she who went through the rabbit hole, the looking glass - take your choice of the version - and found herself in a world gone mad. If you look carefully into the mists you might actually be able to see her, just ahead of us, just as confused and lost as we are. Along the way we might find additional seekers of direction, as we meet Hansel and Gretel, Robinson Crusoe, Dr. Livingston, and all the rest of the fictional and actual characters who were lost, in concert with the rest of the world, in more ways than one. But somewhere, somehow, there has to be a map, a person who actually might have a clue as to how to get to where we need to be.
Throughout history we have always heard, been warned, by versions of this: "To remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all." Elie Wiesel.
Time and again we have been asked, pleaded with, just to speak up, do something, say something, as the modern version goes. But perhaps we have done something far worse than silence. Perhaps we have encouraged too much talk, and instead of sense and morality, got a whole lot of bluster, hot air, which not only did not give out the right words, but actually pushed us into more of the morass of incivility, immorality, and could give a damn for anyone but me attitude! Positivity was drowned out by the vicious and virulent negativity. Not good.
We lost our good silence in a din of nastiness and the din goes on. Yes, more truthful words are beginning to come through, but they are still dimly heard, undergoing great stress for another 44 days. While we are now being reassured that science will lead the way now, fight the pandemic properly, we are also told that once again we have been shafted by the madman and his cohorts.
In June, offered additional doses of vaccine to buy, to get into the arms of Americans, we now are told that the offer was refused. Now, instead, we are hearing more sound and fury signifying nothing, (thank you, Shakespeare), as the man blusters away, rounding that damned corner again, as we bump up against 300,000 dead, 15 million infected, 3,000 dying a day, shouting Americans first, even as England vaccinates her citizens - first. Once again, we Americans are lost. This time, lost in the weird world will signify death for too many, and the tears of joy and hugs of December reunions, will sour, turn into the tears of grief as the toll rises.
How do we get out of this mess? How and where do we find an exit, make a right turn into sanity, into truly doing the right thing. How do we remake ourselves so that we actually do the right thing as matter of habit, of course? It will be hard, and we might have to restart the engine with the kids, those bewildered kids of today who are confused as to the actions of the supposed adults in the room.
First we need to relearn, to reteach, how to evaluate our actions and responses, and like it or not, choose the right course of action. A person, real and a character in fact based fiction, stated, "If you choose to do the right thing, it's a conscious decision at first. Then it becomes second nature. You don't have to think about what is right because doing the right thing becomes who you are, like a reflex. Your actions with time become your character." It is the opposite of the mob rule and psychology encouraged by the GOP of today, the Party of Loeffler, a liar of the first order, and a bad omen if she is representative of new people in politics, particularly of the GOP.
Where is the AAA of the moral world? Where are those clever people who seem to know every route along the byways of America, showing us the right path to reach our destination? Where are they? Well, there are a few remaining ones, but are thin upon the ground. We must learn to be our own leaders. We must learn to recognize and accept truth, like it or not. We must learn to discern right from wrong. We must learn to accept that doing the right thing is not always easy, but is necessary. We must learn that the world is not only black and white but also a whole world of gray in between. Shouting and rigidity does not obscure that fact. That gray world is the world of sensitivity, of justice, of spirit, rather than only the word, of love and consideration. Of knowing within oneself that the right thing is being done.
Unlike authors, we cannot write our way into a happy ending in the last chapter or pages of the book. We cannot say or parrot some phrase and crow about finding the answer. No, we have to slog our way through, fight our own lazy or not so positive instincts. We have to learn to be good and then will be good, but it could take years. Meanwhile, what do we do with the other lost people? Do they remain in NeverNever Land or do they come with us, even against their will?
There are hard decisions and hard times ahead of us. We will be, are being, confronted right now, with difficult situations, with answers not so clearly seen. We will need to have patience, to relearn trust, to lose that mob psychology. To become people again. To hear and listen. To speak and reason, to compromise so as to progress and teach those who deny, that progress is good.
Finally, unfortunately, we are in that most difficult position right now in that we must undo much damage of the past five years before we can even begin to dismantle the blockades on the roads going forward. Only when we have done that, at least even partially, will we be able to begin the true renewal of America, a chance to renew by reaccepting the values of the old America, the America of errors, some grievous errors, but the America that was willing to move forward, and it was, until it was not. No more. Enough. Ignore that "corner" and ... Forward!
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