Day Six: What if We RISE?

Will we allow the magnificent gardens of this Earth
 remain devoid of humanity's will to survive? Can we RISE once more
to defeat yet another challenge to our collective power?
I believe we CAN, and ultimately WILL.

Deke's Note: Damnit! All day I avoided writing this post. I'm monitoring my symptomatic son, keeping our home as clean as possible during our collective self-quarantine, trying to keep occupied during this dangerous time. It's impossible to accurately describe my feelings. Hell, I don't even know what news reports to believe. I certainly can't believe our president, who seems more concerned that people think he's doing a "terrific job", like some four-year-old pleading with Mommy to give him praise when he just peed his pants again. It's like something out of an old Twilight Zone episode. None if it seems real. 

Last night, I was amazed by my family's response to my blood brother who spouted some nonsense in a group text including 19 of those of us so-closely connected. Sons, daughter, brothers, cousins, lifelong friends... all subject to bro's nonsense. Even though I respect my brother's great intelligence, this time he (unintentionally, I'm sure... he does truly love us) insulted us with a quasi-political/religious assault. I won't go into detail; my love for my brother is sacrosanct and I could never publicly-insult him. Still, I worry about him, and anyone else who believes as he does.

All I care about is our collective health. Dad died in October of 2018, but instilled upon each of us the importance that we value blood above all. We have always been a strong unit. Sure, we have our disagreements, collective and painful histories, but we have always risen above it all to ultimately support one another. What we have seen the past two weeks overshadows even the fears our country faced during the Great Depression. It has been incredibly unnecessary. How many times have we collectively, successfully, risen above any challenge we have faced? Countless times, my friends. Countless times. Until now, we have risen as ONE. Now? We're fragmented by the most-lethal political divide to ever slice and dice our collective will.

I don't care what political differences we have. We are all united through blood or collective sacrifice. Our parents, grandparents and those before had the ability to bind themselves to fight anything that has ever threatened us. They may have disagreed politically, religiously or racially but they found a will to rise together in order to defeat any outside enemies who threatened US.

Today, we're encouraged to fight amongst each other, although humanity depends upon our collective strength to find a common thread uniting us.

Somehow, we have arrived in 2020, locked in Orwell's 36-year-too-late scenario controlled by fear-mongers who only serve to further-divide us. Why? Because Divide And Conquer has always served those who pull our puppet strings. The more we fight each other, the stronger those strings become, until they are the thickest of ropes that eventually break our necks.

Throughout my life, I have always been able to disagree with many while also respecting their views. Now, we are torn asunder by powers which have aligned mightily against US. They need not fear, as long as we continue tearing each other apart. WE are the only ones who fear. Unions which built this great country's infrastructure are now considered a threat rather than a collective power.

We are constantly encouraged to align against those with whom we have worked beside, building what was once considered the mightiest nation on Earth. Families vehemently disagree for no good reason, our common sense no longer reigns... only our fears divide us. Why? Because they say we should fight one another instead of those who control our futures.

At this point, I'm compelled to ask you all: who is most important? You, your loved ones, or some pre-determined and all-money-empowered edicts fueled by fraudulent, quasi-religious bullshit? You know what God has always implored: that we love one another, above all. There can be nothing else more important other than we love our neighbors. That we treat others as we would have them treat ourselves. So why, I ask, are we constantly at each others' throats, especially in a time of dire circumstances? It's foolish, ill-advised and horribly at odds with humanity's ultimate survival.

If Jesus Christ were to return right now, do you think He would align Himself with $10,000-plate diners at some political fund raiser? Nah. I believe He would sink down with those who reside under bridges, their funds so depleted they can't even afford a roof over the heads of their children. Sure, some of the homeless choose to live so, but many simply do not have a choice.

Is 150+ rolls of toilet tissue going to help you get through this pandemic? No. What happens when Grandma Jones, rendered totally-isolated by the deaths of her family and finds herself in a grocery isle devoid of ALL paper goods? Tissues which could help her wipe the tears of sadness from having lost everyone in her family. She shops alone, trying to find any semblance of normalcy in a world gone unnecessarily-insane.

What of Daddy Smith, who struggles to provide for his family even though his job as a waiter, his wife working horrible hours of overtime as a nurse, has been negated by an economic emergency that could have been avoided by simply taking early and obvious precautions to avoid such panic?

We need to dig deep this election year. Billions will be spent while millions suffer in an economic void where that money could do so much good. It disgusts me to my deepest core.

I'm not going to espouse, to publicly support, either of the choices we face in November as we exercise the United States of America's right as a people to choose who represents US. However, I implore you to find the strength within your fears to vote for what you KNOW is right. Dig into that deep well of common sense our rich history has bestowed upon us, forged over two centuries of collective struggle. Support the richest of the rich who delight in our common struggle paid for throughout decades of blood and toil for those we love most, or continually uphold those who have disrespected our honor and sacrifice? Must we continually fight one another to do a minority's bidding? While they enjoy servants and idle luxury at our expense, we're beating each other in some WalMart hell over the last remaining rolls of fucking toilet paper.

Both sides of the political spectrum have exploited the working populace. I understand, through deep-reading of our history, the arguments of both sides. However, there still remains the lesser of two evils. The former continues to serve, while the latter flippantly-ignores the blood we constantly spill amongst each other. If you STOP, listen to your inner reason, and contemplate what you and your family are experiencing right now, the nagging answer becomes not obvious, but implied. We could all RISE as one and defeat those who have collectively-conspired against the masses, imploring us to fight each other, or we could just let them win again. And again, until our voice is rendered obsolete.

Next Saturday, I'll be forced to take the operator's seat again. My son, whose exposure to one confirmed to be infected with COVID-19, has not worsened. If my wife and I remain healthy, even though this bug's infection can hide anywhere between five and 14 days of infection, I must protect my job and regain the seat as a city bus operator. I have no choice. This October I will turn 60. While still on the fringes of the age group most-likely endangered by this new threat to humanity, I'm expected to do my job as long as it's there to be done. To refuse could render me unemployed. Such a decision to protect my family's health would have disastrous circumstances. Who hires one at this age who lacks a college diploma? I'd likely be disposed to scrapping for anything, let alone another career paying anywhere near what I do now.

I guess all I can say here is to keep on keeping on, my brothers and sisters. It's what we do, and all we can. Those younger than I in the same situation I am might hope for the chance of something new. I'm stuck here. Yeah, I'm a writer above all. Big fucking deal. I can't feed my family writing what I feel. Nobody truly gives a damn about what I think, not enough to afford me a career doing it.

So there you have it. A blog post from nowhere, promising only my hopes for a better future for those who follow. It offers no hope or belief these words have any affect whatsoever on what you do henceforth. Still, it's all I can do. Sitting here in fear of something I cannot control, knowing it could take me away and the world would keep orbiting the sun. You may not depend upon me, but I do you.

Hey, it's just me writing what I think. Take it for what you want. I'm content with these words, and if they follow me as the wind scatters my ashes this summer, okay. That's life. I only hope those who are left have the strength to fight. Together. If so, my simple remains will gain the atmospheric winds from Bonita, Arizona to follow your future struggles. With that, I remain your humble bus operator and transit blogger. And yes, I DO love you all.

Keep all six on the road, willya? Meanwhile, remain strong because that's all we have.