Observations From the Spectrum

One of the worst of my life thus far was losing my father a few years ago.  Since about 25 he was one of my best friends and confidants.  I enjoyed speaking to him and sharing space.  Kind of like a dog in the room, I just felt good we were together.  Of course there were arguments but that’s all fathers and sons unless the father doesn’t give a damn.  Mine did.

My weekends are usually spent in the mountains.  Before Covid hit, I had a race almost every weekend or a group run or something of the like.  Now, it’s just me, Aysegul, my girlfriend, Gezi the dog and Mavi Mantar the 82 VW Van.  

Last weekend was normal.  We went south along the coast and camped in the van, swam in the sea and ran in the mountains.  To us, that’s the norm.  

On the drive home I started thinking about my dad, it was father’s day.  And I came to realize that as much I miss him, I am happy that he died.  I don’t think the now would have been a pleasant place for him to be and he wouldn’t have lived long enough to see the other side of the now.  

My mom was with him until his last breath.  Me and all those close to him were able to say goodbye and the future was full of hope.  So much so that his last word to me was Hope which is now tattooed on the inside of my arm so I dont forget and I am truly trying not to.

But oh my lord is there a lot of pain in the world.  And it’s not a scrape your knee and get back up pain, it’s the pain of feeling loss and abandoned all at the same time.  It’s the feeling of knowing there is a fire in the building and that you will die even though you can see the firetrucks down below.  It is falling off of a ship in the middle of the night and watching it sail away.  It is pain at the foundational level for so many people and for those who do not have this pain, it is a deep seated hatred against those who do.

I am not the smartest man and I do not pretend to think that I have all or even many of the answers but I know how to change a flat tire on a bike and disinfect a wound.  I know how to identify a problem and try to solve it so that it doesn’t happen again and again.  And when it is repeated, I know how to uncover layers to the problem to find a solution.

But I am not and I will tell you this. Pandemic 101 if you care about your neighbors, your citizens or your flock is to make sure that they all have the tools to be healthy, fed and sheltered, and that is what is being missed worldwide but especially in America at the hands of those who run our government led by DJT.

DJT is a problem but he is one person and our nation is a nation of 350 million people.  We have all played our part to get here, it is just a question of if we will play our part to move forward with what is needed.  And it does not look like anyone on either side of party lines is willing to put themselves at risk for solutions

So how do we hold on to Hope in such a difficult and hopeless time?  I think my dad would have struggled with the answer to this question and ultimately, it would have hurt him to not find the answer and to be around long enough to the resolution. 

I will give it a go.  I think the solution to many of our problems is simple, those at the top talk circles and platitudes and vagaries.  When we call them on it, we are told we are dumb or wrong or immature.  This is not the case.  History is simply repeating itself.

Latin used to be the language of the church and one of the romance languages, the language of the people.  This was done by design to give more power to the church which was and still is in bed with the government.

Latin has been exchanged for lawyer and academic speak for the same gain.  To create a layer speakers in between those in power and those without.  This needs to change.  If the people cant understand the language, the language is the problem.  Fix it.

 So simply any person in any leadership role whether they are an elected official, a ranking position in a religion or just rich need to be told that We will no longer stand for their inaction, ineptitude and indecision.  That we will, as a people, unite as one until those at the top are no longer.  They have committed a crime against the people they have power over and for that should be held accountable.

• All works at Observations from the Spectrum written by Dylan Netter
• Observationsfromthespectrum.org
• OFTS.blog 
• On? a third point of view – book of Essays
• Marinehippie.com podcast w/ Docstodden.com – dialogue exploring politics and musings of life 
• Horizoncoaching.org – English Tutor and Guide
• beehiveplus1.org