Windshields and Mirrors

The Queen’s Passing. Russian Chaos. Morality Police. Nature’s Fury.

September is officially in the rear-view mirror and as far as calendar months go, it left one helluva mark.

Her Majesty’s death shouldn’t have been a surprise and yet somehow it still was. For the majority of the world’s population, she’s been on the throne our whole lives and just thinking about her legacy, what she meant to Britons and to the world at large is hard to even grasp. Yep, she had her detractors and she wasn’t perfect. Show me a leader on the world stage for any length of time who can’t say the same. But the outpouring of respect, adoration and grief that her own people had upon her passing says it all.

A life of commitment, a life of service. A steadying hand for the UK and around the world amidst so many turbulent changes during her incredible 70-year reign. Thank you for your gift to humanity, Your Highness. May you forever Rest in Peace.

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On the other side of humanity, there’s Vladimir Putin.

As Russia’s Madman-in-Chief, Putin announced a draft for 300,000 citizens to join his criminal, unjust war, while also declaring that 4 Ukranian regions are now annexed to Russia and that the people there will now be Russian citizens ”forever.”

Uh huh. Whatever you say Sparky. Some food for thought while there’s a miles-long traffic jam of your own people trying to flee the country: when you die, no one will wait 15 hours in line to pay their respects. World leaders won’t attend your funeral. And you won’t be mourned the world over like Queen Elizabeth II was.

She was twice the man you’ll ever be.

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The death of 22 year old Iranian Mahsa Amini after being confronted by Iran’s ”morality” police for not properly wearing the mandated head-covering ‘hijab’ is incredibly infuriating. Not only did the police beat her so bad that she slipped into a coma and died, they simply denied any wrongdoing and claimed she suffered a heart-attack.

Are you freaking kidding me. Thank goodness for a government and police force that’s so concerned about “morality” huh!

As senseless as her murder was, it’s galvanized Iranian women who are ditching their own hijabs in protest and standing up for lasting change, after decades of being treated like second-class citizens in their own country. Hopefully, as has happened so many times in history after a tragic event, the movement that’s risen from the ashes of Amini’s death continues and ultimately does bring change. Hey Iran, the Dark Ages are long gone – it’s time you saw the light.

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It’s hard to fathom the massive losses that Floridians have experienced in the wake of Hurricane Ian. With the death toll rising and the devastation still being evaluated, what we know and have seen is nothing short of a monumental disaster. Entire communities are gone. On the news a couple days ago, a teenage girl was interviewed in front of her now-gone neighborhood. She was glad to be alive, but with the shock and horrors still settling in, she pointed to where her home and neighborhood once stood. With tears and fear in her eyes, she said “there’s nothing to come back to.”

Heartbreaking. Prayers and big love for her and for everyone else who’s suffered loss at the hands of nature’s latest display of fury.

So September’s in the rear view and we’re now 3/4 of the way thru 2022. As a general rule, it’s always a good idea to look in the windshield – where are we headed now?

I wrote a blog article on July 1st titled Part Deaux, a reflection on the first half of 2022 and wondering what was in store for the second half (you should read it if ya haven’t already of course, along with all of my other posts thankuverymuch 😉 ). We’re now halfway through the last half of the year, and ya know – once the calendar says October, a crazy time / space continuum thingy happens and we’ll pretty much be saying Happy New Year tomorrow.

We have no clue what lies ahead, but if the past is any indication, the bumpy ride could get a little bumpier. With so much pain and uncertainty in the world….well…

Let’s just be kind to each other.

Can we do that?

Forgive whoever you need to forgive. Pursue peace at all costs, with others and especially with yourself. Be good to yourself. And especially, take care of your mental and physical health.

You’re worth it.