An Almost Imperceptible Snore and the Nature of Power in Everyday Ramblings

I took this picture because there is a Christmas tree on the back end of the top part of the crane towards the support. But what I like about it is the big sky, something we don’t get to see around here very often this time of year.

Although I am better, (I can almost breathe through both nostrils consistently) I am still sick. I’ll be able to teach tomorrow but I won’t be able to hide that I have been sick. It is evident in the sound of my voice.

Yesterday I managed the grocery store, a nice leisurely trip, and about a mile around the track wrapped up in the foggy mist. I smiled at the two intrepid older independent women out there walking from the nearby retirement living center.

And I was able to practice yoga. Part of the aches and pains component of this virus is the connective tissue in my back and the yoga helped a lot with that.

I finished reading The Power. Whoa baby is that a dark book or what?

Her premise is that power corrupts. It doesn’t matter what your gender is. So we might want to think about our fantasies that electing women to office will make things better. Not that it is a bad idea at all; certainly that parity is a good thing, but unbridled power…bad news.

And certainly when you see the women that are working in the White House and that supported Roy Moore I think one can agree that it is not gender here that is the deeper problem, it is power and, well, unbridled capitalism and greed.

There sure is a reckoning going on though. And just the idea that a woman would have the actual physical ability in her body to protect herself from aggression out in the world is intoxicating to contemplate.

It became pretty clear to me as a teenager (mostly) on my own that I was basically a prey animal out there. I would very much like to go back and re-write the ends of those stories so that those individuals would know they can not behave that way anymore… as I would very much like to feel safe enough to be have been able to say to Mr. Take No Prisoners (my former boss) that starring at my breasts every time I am alone with you is truly truly creepy and you need to stop doing it and get some help.

I can manage narcissism but I can’t manage perversion.

The whole reason my oldest sister and her best friend colluded to buy me a Great Dane puppy when I was 16 was to give me some semblance of power. Just like the young woman with multiple piercings on her face that looked like she was from First Peoples origin was sitting outside a convenience store I go to on the cold ground with a giant Pit Bull next to her last week.

I told her I was afraid of big dogs and she held up her hand that had a leash in it, but it was a long long leash and not reassuring in the least. I think she knew that. Luckily the dog was wagging her tail.

The book is also about young women being given a power they are not trained to use and all the things that can go wrong there.

So wow, lots to think about there.

I did try the hot chocolate (unadulterated) and that helped my mood but mostly what is helping is that incrementally I am feeling better.

And knowing for the next three weeks I am only working four day weeks and no bloody overtime and have a chance to make a small dent in my when I can get to it list around the homestead.

In the meantime Carlo is curled up on the end of the bed on the chenille blanket and he is almost imperceptibly snoring.

I may just join him.

Last updated December 17, 2017