Beautiful Old Broads enjoy summer

Hello dear ones,

This will be my last blog post for the summer.  I started this blog 18 months ago and have posted most every Friday...unless life interfered.  So I'm going to take a break from writing the blog but I love doing it and plan to start writing it again in the fall.  I've enjoyed all your feedback and thank you for taking precious time from your day to read it. I'll leave you with a poem that I posted a few months back.  Much to my surprise it won third place in a little library writing contest I entered. I'm sure it will ring a bell with you and perhaps leave you smiling. 


       Hanging On The Line  
                         by  Patti Ross 

She said

Due to the large volume of calls, there is a wait for the next available agent.

I said

Due to your company’s lack of hiring enough personnel, the phone lines are clogged

She said

Thank you for your patience

I said

What patience?  I’m not patient.  I’m irritated and angry and fussed

I’ve been on this line for ages punching one and punching two and now…now I’d like to punch you.

She said

Thank you for your patience.  And then scratchy recorded music bombarded my ear.

I said

I’ve been holding so long, my arm is numb and I fear for my circulation.  I hammered on O and pounded on keys but its no use.

She said

Due to the large volume of calls we are presently experiencing there is a considerable wait.  Thank you for your patience.

I said

I’m about at the end of my rope.  I may hang…up.  Wait. I hear something…a live person speaking to me.  Really!

She said

My name is Lorilei.  How may I assist you?

I said

Due to the lengthy wait, I can’t remember why I called.  Please hold while I look for my notes.

Thank you for your patience.

Beautiful Old Broads vote to be vocal

Dear Ones,

The media natters on and on about how divisive our population appears.  They stress the fact that we’re contentious.  It’s one of their favorite topics. We all look around guiltily and nod our heads. Yes we do seem to disagree on many fronts. 

 Well, good for us, I say.  We are only following in the footsteps of our august forefathers…and mothers. Just take a long look back in history.  Exactly when was that period when we all held hands and sang “Kumbaya”???

 Not at the birth of our democracy when the original 13 colonies absolutely abhorred the idea of a federation. It was only after much wrangling and debate that finally in 1789, our Constitution was ratified and slowly we began to pull the oars of government together.  But then came the civil war and states jumped ship. And in the 1850’s the senate was deeply conflicted due to the slavery issues.  So much so that on one occasion Senator Foote from Mississippi drew a pistol in self defense when the burly Senator Thomas Hart Benson came rumbling down the aisle. Open carry was NOT an issue.  Wisely, Vice President Fillmore quickly adjourned the session that day and the two senators quickly cooled and apologized.

Not in the years before WW1. There were riots and strikes early in the century and then there was bitter disagreement on whether we should be involved “over there”.  Leave them fight their own wars, many said.

Not in the late thirties.  Though FDR wanted to stand beside England, the American people were, as usual, divided.  It wasn’t until Japan invaded and Germany declared war on us that we united in defeating Japan and Hitler.

History shows that we Americans are noisy, opinionated and outspoken.  And so we should be.  How sad if we were silent and complacent or if we stopped caring about issues or were afraid to debate topics.  Yes, maybe the media is correct in saying we do disagree more often than not.  However, one of the Latin meanings for dissension is to think.  So hopefully Americans will continue to think, to care, to stand up and voice their opinions and to argue for ideals close to their hearts.  I say…good for us.   History also shows that when we do decide to stand together, we are a powerful nation.

            “A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough

             to take everything you have.”             Thomas Jefferson