One of the gifts and curses of my life is that my brain works on hyper-drive. That doesn’t mean it is better or smarter than others; on the contrary, most of the people I consider to be intellectually above me take far more time to think things through than I do. Because my brain – and everything else in my life – moves so fast, I come to conclusions quickly. Again, it isn’t better or worse – it’s just different. There have been a number of times in my life when my quick thinking paid off, and more when it didn’t. I work every day to slow things down so I can think things through before I act or speak.
It has been obvious to all of us that President Biden has, in recent months, been displaying signs of slowing down physically and cognitively. It isn’t all the time, but it has seemed, to me, to have gotten worse. The debate a couple of weeks ago was the final straw, and just recently, the president decided to not run in the upcoming election. I can’t imagine what this must be doing to him; from my point of view, he and his administration have done a lot of good. They have also messed up. Just like every administration before his and every one yet to come. I wouldn’t want that job.
I appreciate that the president took time to think things through. If you think this is some kind of plan by some cabal and the dark web to put VP Harris into office without competition, well, you be you. I can’t live with that kind of foolishness and paranoia. As someone who has worked for many years with people with dementia, I have seen the signs appear in a variety of ways. For some, you can see it coming a mile away, and it might take years for it to fully appear. For others, it hits them like a semi, creating massive wreckage of everyone’s lives. President Biden’s decline over the last four years has been startling, but I have to believe that the decision to step away was heartbreaking and incredibly difficult. I think he made the right choice for him, his family, and the country.
I have learned to think things through more carefully, but it wasn’t easy for me. I have always been abrupt and to the point, and a lot of people love it while others hate it. I have learned to be more patient with myself and cognizant of others, which, again, isn’t easy to change. Thinking things through is a good thing to do. Waiting – listening – considering – praying – whatever it is that you and I need to do that will allow for positive outcomes; these are good things. Rashly blurting out venom – that’s a bad thing. Be patient with yourself and each other. Thinking things through can make the world better.
Prayer – Holy God, we seek to live well – give is the patience to consider what is best for all, not just some. Amen.
Today’s art is “End of Time” by Robert Zietara.