Day 15 and Thinking About Cynicism

The balance always seems to be shifting. Like a teeter-totter. Adjusting and adapting. Yin and Yang. Does the equal and opposite principle always apply?

Even our bodies constantly seek homeostasis—maintaining a stable internal environment as conditions change. I had laser eye surgery two weeks ago. My eyes are (pretty much) healed now. It's amazing. I can see clearly now...

The first few days after my surgery were very low-key. When you can't use screens, read, or exercise... and you need to rest your eyes... your options are fairly limited. So, I did a lot of sleeping. And chilling. And it was just what I needed. After a busy March break with the kids—aged 10 and 8—home, I needed another break. Unfortunately, when you have kids—who I love more than life itself—there are no breaks. You are "on" all the time. Having an amazing partner helps. My husband and I are a great team and, between the two of us, all the bases get covered. But a break usually only comes when there is no other option... in other words, I lie down or I fall down.

Being a parent is a full-time plus job that nothing on Earth can prepare you for. Our twelve year-old shih-tzu has had congestive heart failure (CHF) for the last two years. He was given months to live. He's beating all odds just by being alive right now. But a geriatric dog comes with its own set of challenges. He takes—albeit reluctantly—medication three times a day. He has to go outdoors in the middle of the night. He rests more and takes shorter walks. But, in his mind, he's still a puppy.

When I have an "idle" moment, my brain kicks into overdrive. I think. I think. And, as you can imagine, my thoughts run into each other, and I don't stop thinking...

There is a lot happening in the Canadian political arena. As a general rule, I don't pay attention to politics. For an optimistic person like me—politics is the anti-thesis of everything I believe in. I believe in democracy. But the game of politics? That's a whole other matter. It's enough to make even the most optimist person cynical. I don't want to be cynical. I want to live in a world of rainbows and lollipops. I do.

I write fiction. That's why I write fiction.

And, the greatest fiction we are fed seems to be that politicians are more concerned about making a difference for their country than getting re-elected. And when you add "abiding by the law" in the equation? Well, we've seen time and time again that the justice system is two-tiered.

Jody Wilson-Raybould. Jane Philpott.

If those names are unfamiliar to you, Google them. Or you can read the blog I wrote that mentioned Jody Wilson-Raybould from a few weeks ago. Is "Superhero" One Word or Two?

We seem to live in a world where the truth-speakers get punished. Yes, that's a very cynical viewpoint. I don't want to believe it, but I've seen too many examples. I would love to be wrong about this.

Prove me wrong.

Until then, I'll try to capture the swirl of my deeply disjointed thoughts here on my blog and in my other writing... and, maybe make sense of this mess.