Illumination

 

On a sunny day, the two lamps at the front of the loom are sufficient for me to thread.  On a grey day - or at night - I also use a lamp at the back of the loom.  While I can see without that back one, it just makes things easier if I can more clearly see the threads that I want to use next.

Illumination is always a good thing.  Trying to see in the dark, without sufficient light?  Not a good thing.  The older I get, the more I need good illumination.

The past few years I have seen comments on line (and heard in person) that people should leave politics out of...whatever activity that seems to the speaker to be being wrecked by politics.

This morning I peered at my dictionary to get the actual definition of the word politics.  The Oxford Concise Dictionary says:

Politics (of person) sagacious, prudent (of action), judicious, expedient, scheming, crafty.

I have always maintained that if an activity involves people, politics will be involved.

If we are to fully embrace humanity, in all it's flavours, we would do well to remember that the word politics includes sagacious, prudent activity, judicious decisions, and expedient action as the first four definitions of the word.

The more illumination we have about people's actions and behaviours, the better able we will be to decide if we agree with them.  Or not.  When they show you through their actions who they are, believe them.

The older I get, the less patience I have with people who scheme in order to advance their own personal benefit.  The people who attempt to manipulate my behaviour through false information.  Or attempting a guilt trip.  

As an older person, I no longer respond to guilt.  While I always want to give people the benefit of the doubt, I no longer appreciate the spreading of misinformation based in conspiracy theories that hold no water.  

For the past 13 months I have repeatedly advised people to stay home if they can.  Wear a mask (once they became more available).  Wash their hands.  Now I urge people to get a vaccine for covid.

I do this because these are the measures that will protect us from a viral pandemic.  There is no cure for covid, like there is no cure for a cold.  Prevention is the best approach.

We are now in a 3 week 'circuit breaker' attempting to knock back covid and the variants that have begun to appear.  I have little patience for people who still refuse to wear a mask, gather in large groups, insist that it is their 'right' to do so.  

I am old enough to remember getting measles, mumps, chicken pox 'naturally'.  If there had been vaccinations, mom would have made sure I got them, like she did for small pox and polio.  As an adult I got vaccinations to protect from tetanus, rubella, shingles (because I had chicken pox as a child and because I've had shingles twice - so far - as an adult) pneumonia and now the flu vaccine yearly.

Politics includes the sagacious decision to vaccinate against contagious diseases.  Politics includes making sure that vulnerable folk get the vaccine as well as me.  Getting as many people as possible vaccinated - all around the world, because this is a global pandemic - is expedient, if we are to combat this virus.

What is not sagacious or expedient is blaming a certain segment of the population for the pandemic.  That's called racism.  And that isn't wise, or kind, or even accurate.  

The virus doesn't care.  It just wants a home, any home will do.  It doesn't care what colour your skin is.  It doesn't care what your political leanings are (in terms of government).  It doesn't care where you live or what language you speak.  It just wants to replicate.

The sooner everyone - and I do mean everyone who can, because some people cannot for medical reasons - gets vaccinated the sooner we can address other things that are considered political.  Like equal pay for equal work.  Like equal opportunity to live safely in our skins, no matter who we love.  Like giving everyone the chance to grow, have a safe home, safe drinking water.  Equity in education and opportunity to work.

Politics, in it's purist form, may just be illumination to see into the murky parts of our lives.