I am guessing the Junior Senator on the left, below, who gave the mob a weak power sign might not be so sure what gesture he should give to the Police Officer killed with blows to the head from a fire extinguisher. Um, uh, something that suggests sympathy? Some sort of signal of remorse? Nah; in the cynical and self-serving world where lies are perpetuated and citizens with benign intentions are pushed forward and used as cover by the criminal leaders of a insurrection and… I swear, I would love to just say ‘fuck it, saner heads will prevail.’ I would love to believe that. But, a couple of things: Is that Ivy Leaguer who despite, supposedly, giving his educational background, knew full well the grounds for overturning the will of the voters was unconstitutional and yet insisted on holding up the certification for an additional five hours, this after our elected representatives showed an incredible amount of courage by coming back into session after the military style assault on Congress; is this dude giving himself a shaka? And the other dude; the guy who said he’d be with the marchers (who are, to him, special, and loved) then went to his gilded bunker and, allegedly, enjoyed the show on TV; does that make him a coward as well as a liar?

Somehow, with, evidently (evidently as in there is evidence to back this up) some of the loved and special people who stormed the Capitol had a plan to hang (or otherwise execute, as in kill) the Vice President of the United States of America for not going outside his role as specified (as in clearly spelled out, not open to vague interpretation) by not certifying the will of the American People, more than seven million more of whom did not vote for the incumbent; somehow, in all of this, Mike Pence did show courage, did behave in a heroic way.

AGAIN, I want to get beyond this. BECAUSE I listen as well as talk, I pick up on things. We’ve had some pretty shitty weather lately. I mentioned how depressing this can be to a floor guy on a job. “For some people,” he said, “depression is a step up.” I was a bit shocked. Maybe desperation is a floor down, with only surrender below that. I understand desperation, and I know, right now, it is widespread. I am thankful that I have been lucky enough to keep working, to keep going, and I try to have faith that I can continue to do so. I told the guy that I have a tough time holding on to depression; I tend to talk my way out of it, to an extent, dropping back to my belief that there’s a story going on that we aren’t writing; that we’re not even minor characters in; the example I gave him is this: Who could have scripted that the political control of the US Senate could come down to two recount votes in Georgia?

THERE IS a painter in the town I have lived in for over forty years, another town in rural America with limited opportunities; and, over the years, good times and bad, whenever he and I have run into each other, he always ends the conversation with “Hang in there.” It is a verbal shaka, a term of encouragement.

Hang in there.