Monday, November 28, 2016

"The Winter of My Discontent"

                                                                         

"The Winter of My Discontent"
That line, borrowed from Shakespeare, purloined by Steinbeck, for one of his novels, and skewed by me on this day...to describe my mood today.
The mood is heightened, or should I say, intensified by the weather.....the sky gray in sadness, a bitterly chill wind blowing in from the west. 
And my Arizona Cardinals have lost still another game...a game for which you wonder just how many players really had their heads in it. 
When their season began hopes were high. Self aggrandizement was permitted. Bragging was allowed. And now, here, after the 11th week of play, the Cardinals stand a ghastly 4-6-1, their chances for the playoff spot as distant as a desert mirage. And yet, back in September, they were strutting about, bragging of the greatness, of all the talent...already eyeing an index finger and imagining a big old gaudy Super Bowl Ring down there. Just as our politicians seek to declare themselves "emperor", holding sway over our fates, these Cardinals dared to declare themselves "great"..before they had even stepped onto the field.
And, as I wallowed in my own personal despair, I thought to equate all that pre-season bragging as the disease that plagues us in all corners of our society.
We Americans, or should I say, a large swath of us, have become "empty braggarts", "all hats and no cowboy". Under the auspices of the electronic keyboard we are all "super-heroes"...capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound...well, you get my drift. And yet our national debt is 20 times what it was when Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the moon. And our legacy in the world is in tatters. And our jobs belong either to a Chinaman in Bejing, or is being filled by an illegal Mexican in Stockton, or Pasadena, or Phoenix, or Denver. And half of America knows that, and the other half are content with it as long as the fat government tit is never taken away.
I can remember when "modesty" was the mode of they day. One did not brag about success, instead we downplayed it...stayed silent...and allowed our silence to give "breathing space" so that others might praise.
Now we are a nation of people who strut, who announce our own "grandness", who are dead set certain that everything we think and say is right...and any contesting of that fact is met with seething anger and scorn.
So we lose a lot. We lose in the jobs market, we lose our heritage and traditions to the illegal immigrant, we surrender our safety...trading it for political correctness, we lose our standing in the world..our allies suspicious and mistrustful, and we even lose it on the playing field....everyone content with the awarded blue ribbon...just for showing up.
The sunny and carefree days of summer are now gone, and given way to the clouds that hover over us..in the winter of our discontent.
Sigh.

4 comments:

Frank R. Krzesowiak said...

I've learned to not "Brag" about anything. Seems like it's the kiss of death. One who brags, paints themselves into a corner, very often not being able to fulfill the expectations(of oneself or of others). Best to contain oneself so as to not overestimate(or under) one's abilities. Scribe: The world's constantly changing. There was a time you couldn't use bad words in a song(or it wouldn't get played) or on TV. Now, it's even Cartoons that are suggestive or crass. We are in a barrel heading over a waterfall. Willingly protecting Criminal Illegals at the expense of losing millions of dollars in Government benefits(once again, the American people lose out) Is just mind numbingly DUMB. I wish they would put it to a vote whether they stay or go. I think most people would look at it logically and vote a big NO. Nice roads or Illegals. Keeping up Parks or Illegals. I think we all get the picture. It's insanity at it's highest level.

A Modest Scribler said...

Wrote this yesterday, Frank. Not feeling much better today as I watch the Cyber Monday hogs out in full force. I sometimes think my despair comes from being an old fogie....but then i remember no one in previous generations acting out as bad as the last two have done.

Frank R. Krzesowiak said...

Not too sure about that, Scribe. The turbulent 60's was probably the largest Generational change of all time. We started it. We thought we knew better than our parents(many of whom were LEGAL Immigrants). Not sure if we could read the future, we would have revolted the way we did. It was a fun/exciting time but if it was the start of the demise of this Country, we may have thought twice. We taught/thought rebellion was good. I guess not. We allowed humans are good(even Criminal humans but babies can be bad) to happen. Bizzaro world is here. I guess we should "enjoy the fruits of our Stupidity" and just do nothing.

A Modest Scribler said...

You may be right, but I'll beg off on taking the hit on the 60's. I was in the military and straight as an arrow. And I raised my kids the way I was raised...no Dr. Spock books in our house.