Purely from a physical standpoint, yesterday sucked. I felt nauseous and had a never-ending headache that not only impacted my mental capacity but interfered with my ability to hold my balance and do normal, everyday things. This is why some people think I need to be in a home. I still disagree with that premise, but days like yesterday don’t help my argument any. I compensated by turning off my alarm and sleeping over 11 hours straight. By the time I woke up this morning, everyone else was gone. The dogs didn’t even ask to go out until they knew I was up and safe.
The question now is how all that sleep will affect me today. For starters, my med schedule has been thrown off. I still need to eat something so I can take my chemo pills but I’m not hungry and nothing sounds particularly appealing. Well, okay, nothing that is safe to have. I’d take a big ol’ blueberry muffin streusel topping about now, but we both know I can’t do that. I’m also curious as to whether I’ll be able to delay my mid-morning nap. I would think I’ll be good until mid-afternoon given that it’s already late morning.
Neither have I had a chance to look at the news, the weather (which seems pleasant enough), or anything else that might normally affect my outlook on life. I feel a bit bland. I’ve not checked social media except for a few birthdays. I feel totally out of touch with the world. I need some positive human interaction, but it’s a bit late to set anything up for today.
Has anyone else been inundated with fundraising requests related to the presidential election? I gave the Democratic Party $10 back in 2016 and not only have they not stopped asking for more, the amount they’re requesting only keeps going up. I know I’m not the only one who has a problem with big money’s role in elections. And I know that is not going to change because the people who could change it are the people collecting all the money. Seems rather silly, doesn’t it?
Maybe we need to empower the Election Commission to control the purse strings, especially in presidential elections more tightly. Not only would each party, including the lesser-known parties, be given equal amounts, but the commission would also be able to limit how much is spent on different media in different markets. As it stands now, campaigns raise funds from safe markets to spend in areas where they’re not doing so well. The commission should have the power to limit that type of activity. In fact, fundraising itself should be stopped altogether.
I know, it’s a pipe dream, one that I’m pretty sure I’ve voiced before, probably four, eight, and twelve years ago. An example of how out of touch politicians are with their constituents and the excessive control parties have over those politicians is the fact that the topic gets zero traction on Capitol Hill. People want this kind of change, but we’re never going to get it. We should be doing elections much, much differently.
I love people who are a little bit crazy. Eccentric, daring, and spirited people are fun to be around because they encourage us to step out of our own caves and experience life more fully. People who see life and the world around us through a radically different lens can teach us a lot, take us on great adventures, and help us discover things about ourselves and the universe that can alter the course of humanity. Potentially.
Why are there not more crazy people out there encouraging us to do crazy things? I can think of at least two reasons. First: we too often confuse crazy with stupid. My news feed on social media is littered with people doing stupid things such as destroying other people’s meals at restaurants, making a mess in grocery stores, doing damage to other people’s property, and putting lives in danger just because it gets them a lot of views. Let’s be very clear: this is stupid, not crazy. While that makes me sound a bit like an old fuddy-duddy, there’s no arguing that such actions are wholly irresponsible and can cost their victims a lot of money. No one needs more stupid people in their lives. The world doesn’t need more stupid people on the planet. We already have politicians. That’s quite enough stupidity, thank you.
Second: doing things is scary and there’s a whole bunch of people whose anxiety stops them from making more out of life. I’m one of those people. The only way I’m going on an adventure is if a friend takes me. I’m horrible about doing anything on my own. Minor adventures that I’ve attempted end up being rather lame trips to places that are already familiar. When I think of doing things that are genuinely wild and crazy, especially at my age, I quickly and easily find an excuse to stay home. I have plenty of excuses for staying home. I have cancer and am on chemo. That alone is enough to keep me sequestered for a very long time.
Still, I love people who are a little bit crazy. If that’s you, feel free to contact me and drag me out into the unknown.
I really need to eat something and take my meds. Feel free to amuse me.