In public one of my biggest pet peeves is when people are listening to something on their electronic device and the volume is up where I can hear it. I don’t let my children listen to anything in public. It’s a public space where are your manners?

Is it just me?

People do this all the time, all the time. I don’t want to hear your entire conversation with your husband while we have to share a van to the airport. I mean, it’s one thing to have your phone on and you talking to the man sure I get you need to talk to him. But why on earth do you have him on Facetime or speaker so that you can check your e-mail while you talk to him. Hearing you I can deal with, but also hearing every word he says….No Thank you.

I also hate hearing kids programs at the dinner table or your movie at the airport or at Starbucks. I didn’t go to get my $6.00 Latte to listen to you watch some movie with your best friend. You have headphones for a reason. They make buddy head phones for a reason. Maybe I’m just grumpy or old fashioned but if you want to be on your electronics and not use headphones then don’t be in public. Or at least be polite and use a very low volume. Your space is yours to do what you want but think of others when you are out.

If you’re anything like me you might be having issues with the daily news. I find it affecting me way more than it probably should or should it. I mean I’m in fear of the first amendment being lost or at least altered and here’s how. If you disagree with the White House then you are either called a liar or fake news. Um no… get over yourself it’s not fake news just because you don’t like the way it was presented.

I’m also worried about people I care about losing their rights. I’m a Christian. I believe in the bible and and Jesus’ teachings. His greatest teaching was LOVE. Love one another. When you take out the love you lose so much and that seems to be where we are headed. Yes I’m upset about the new “ban” not ban whatever you want to call it but even putting that aside so many of my friends have so much to lose over other things that are happening or might not happen. I just can’t even. Where is the love in Christianity when you are allowed to ignore someone else’s rights because the way they live their life which is none of your business by the way goes against your beliefs. Wait if you are a fellow Christian isn’t your first commandment to LOVE?

I hope to everything in me that that document leaked is just to instigate fear. Yes it worked for me and many people that I know and I pray it doesn’t get signed. That has nothing to do with protecting our country, it just causes hate. PLEASE LOVE FIRST. And I have to stop reading the news, watching the news and do everything I can to avoid Facebook while still trying to get my daily work done which is close to impossible.

I have so many concerns right now. How do you function right now?

(if you don’t like politics it’s ok. I’m writing to release my own pent up, scared out of my mind energy)

How can anyone be ok with this?

I tell my children that lying is not ok.

I tell my children that just because you say it is so does not make it so.

I tell my children when you lie no one knows when you are telling the truth.

I don’t know who to credit for this picture, I found it on Facebook. But it is genius. Whomever you are, I love it and will credit you as soon as I find you. (WAIT, a Google search gave you away… Boing Boing’s Facebook page shared this art by Tim O’Brien.

I tell my children if you lie you’ll be in trouble.

I also tell my children sometimes you just have to let things go. Yes this could be great advice for me and that’s why I’m writing. Writing helps me release it. The only power I have is in my writing, or by calling my representatives and tell them how unhappy about things. But no, I choose to take my pen (keyboard) in this instance and not be silent. But something so dumb as the attendance size at the Inauguration really? Really? As I would tell my children it’s not worth it. As I tell myself…. Pick Your Battles!!!

I’m going to preface this post with writing has always been my outlet. The current political conflict has me in constant panic attacks and almost depressed so I’m writing this for me mostly!

I wake up every morning and the first thing I do is check the news on my phone to see what Trump has done now. I feel like every day it’s something new and it’s not good. Of course that’s because my beliefs do not fall in line with his or with most Republicans anymore but some things… I just can’t even fathom.

I keep telling myself because I’m a reasonable person that it will get better. Trump isn’t really trying to control science results with his gag order on the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the Department of Agriculture. I’m trying to tell myself let’s wait and see about how he’s not really going to be breaking the law by taking land away from American Indians just to create more jobs. No he wouldn’t do that. Surely his renegotiating of the contract will avoid their land right? I have hopes but doubt them all. I feel like so many people in this country don’t care about a particular item on his agenda unless it affects them personally, at least that’s how I feel about his supporters.

My greatest fear is that we are already starting to lose the First Amendment in the press. Because if you say anything negative you are cut off. A President needs to be able to ignore the bad press and tell the facts. Just because he doesn’t like the facts doesn’t mean they aren’t facts and that’s a rant for another day! I worry about who is being allowed in the press room in the White House and who will lose privileges. How can we keep him in check if we don’t know what he’s doing and that I think is his goal.  #NOLETUP