ZZZZZZZZ . . .
There is a medieval tale told about the lord of a vast estate who one day decided to ask three questions of a simple-minded, though thoroughly decent, serf. The reward for answering all three questions correctly was the guarantee of remaining on the estate for the rest of his life. If the serf failed to answer any of the three correctly, he would be summarily thrown off the estate and thus be out of work. Scared to death that he would soon be both homeless and jobless, he pleaded with his bright and beautiful daughter to help him out. The questions, he told her were:
What is the biggest thing in the world?
What is the fastest thing in the world?
What is the best thing in the world?
“And did you get any hint or suggestion that the lord of the manor had any idea what the correct answers were?” the young maiden asked her distraught father.
“None that I could determine,” her father answered.
“That seems likely,” his daughter responded, a twinkle in her eye. “And so, I will give you 3 answers which cannot be wrong, for they are all well beyond both argument or logic.”
“Beyond what?” her father asked. “Never you mind . . . just memorize the answers I will share with you,” she said, and proceeded thusly: “First, the biggest thing in the world is the earth itself. Second, the fastest thing in the world is an idea. And third . . . well, I firmly believe that the lord of the manor will except ‘a good night’s sleep’ as the best possible answer. Got that?” she asked, a broad smile on her face. The next day, the serf showed up in the master’s morning room and gave him the three answers. And behold, all three answers were found to be perfect . . . and that as such, he and his daughter would live out their days at the vast estate. (According to at least one version of the tale, the daughter wound also wind up marrying the master.)
So what brings this tale to mind? Well, the other day, while awakening to “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, Annie, stretching herself into wakefulness said: Isn’t it wonderful that without ‘45 hogging every headline, Tweet and minute of news, we can get a good night’s sleep and not have to worry so much about what tomorrow’s headline is going to be? God bless Joe Biden and his administration!”
I tell you, my better half is frequently more insightful than I . . . by far more than half. I don’t know about you, but I actually have been sleeping quite a bit more soundly since the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and the creation of the newest Cabinet. It is such a joy (מחיה m’chaya) to awaken each day to a bit of normality; to a cabinet peopled by men and women who are both supremely able and experienced in the areas of governance they have been chosen to lead. They got their jobs and positions not because of their “loyalty to the chief” or the amount of gelt they raised, but rather because of their resumes, experience and areas of expertise. This is something new . . . or a return to something old; a pattern we have not come close to experiencing since the beginning of the Trump years.
During the first month of the Biden/Harris administration we have weathered storms of ice, cold and frigid death; of a second impeachment, a clarion call that “America is back” to both our allies and non-friendly nations . . . as well as a dramatic lowering in the number of those contracting COVID-19. We have begun to experience just how much progress can be made when the decibel level is lowered and those who disagree are treated with a bit more humanity and respect. Under “normal circumstances,” this is not a matter of earth-shattering proportions; coming on the heels of the previous administration, this is a change of earth-shattering proportions.
Yes, we have witnessed Senator Lindsey Graham’s threat to impeach Vice President Harris just as soon as Republicans take back the House; as well as newly-elected Representative Marjorie Taylor’s Greene’s (Q-GA) promise to impeach President Biden and Congress’s promise to hold up any COVID-19 relief measure for the American people. And yet, Biden/Harris’ public approval rating is at nearly 70% - far, far above anything achieved by Trump/Pence during their 4 years in office.
This is not to say that the far right-wing conspirators (whose numbers include political enfant terrible Roger Stone and Infowars’ founder and chief conniver Alex Jones) who created, carried out and financed the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol are either sanguine or silenced. They are still part of a horrific and dangerous cabal which will keep American Democracy in the crosshairs for the immediate future. And yet, with a Justice Department under the leadership of Merrick Garland, they shall, I firmly believe, be brought to justice; they shall soon learn what years behind bars truly mean.
All in all, the changes which have already begun changing and disinfecting the political world at home will, God willing, add up to many, many more sleepful hours and positive thoughts about the immediate future of the United States of America . . . the last, best hope the world has for humanity and normality.
Copyright©2021 Kurt F. Stone