It's a Small World

For those of you that are living in a mama bubble like I was the past few years, Newsflash: the Al Qaeda want to blow us up more than an inflatable pool with Liz Taylor belly flopping down the slide. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-081006terror,0,6150277.story?coll=la-home-headlines

I find all this talk about bombs and death and hate so depressing. It makes me so bummed out that all I want to do is take a vacation far far away. But that would mean traveling. Which means going to LAX. Which means lines upon lines and more frustration than even thinking about Al Qaeda in the first place.

Such woes were the lighthearted topic of Cecelia and my "play date" today. While Pipqueak demanded ice and deigned to play with 3 of 15 stimulating toys my friend graciously placed out for her, my dear pal rocked her three month old Finn and enlightened me on her moderate take on the Democratic party.

I of course sat slack jawed as I realized, as usual, that despite agreeing with many comments made earlier on a right winged talk radio show, Cecelia's pragmatic views of world events made a ton of sense. This only proves once again that I am neither Democrat nor Republican. Nary a fish or a fowl. In the end, I will most likely morph into a Libertarian with webbed feet and gills.

My question for all you people, regardless of race and political party: How does one raise a child in America anymore? It's the land of the free and the brave, and yet it feels like our freedom shrinks more and more with every news story. And I don't know about you, but I'm not feeling so brave. That woman laying fetal position in front of a big screen tv? Drooling while The Golden Girls runs back to back with Charles in Charge and Alice (The one where Alice gets the 'fake' ring and runs a circle on the glass and it makes a perfect hole and shatters in Mel's kitchen)? That's me.

Cecelia had a great analogy about terrorists. She likened them to bullies on the playground. They have charisma, all the cool gadgets and clothes. People flock to them and are afraid to stand up for fear of a wedgie the size of Texas. But when one kid throws a stone, and then another, and then another, suddenly the bully is overthrown. That’s what we need to do to collectively fight for our freedom.

Fair enough. But I don't want my kid the one in the front lines fifteen years from now, throwing stones at an invisible enemy and coming home in a body bag.

Such an uplifting thought process is why I never used to watch the news. But now I'm sucked into this vortex of self-awareness. I'll never miss a boring election again. I'll turn into one of those women who show up at preschool with a button on my vintage Don Henley tee shouting in bright red bubble letters, "I Voted for Elmo!" I hate that. (And I don’t even have a vintage Don Henley tee shirt yet, though I hope to get one some day. That’s just how screwed up I am feeling right now.)

To to leave on a lighter note, let me say that I am making progress in my queries. I have made at least $84.11 this month on Ebay with a good plan to flip some products for cash. And most exciting…. I am going to Disneyland next week with Stink and Rex! We’re even going to stay in a fancy Holiday Inn in Anaheim so we can be the first ones in the gate. (Or, as my cousin likes to say, “We’ll be park busters!”) Yes, before the Al Queda blows it up, I'm going to be a tacky American with my Mickey Mouse ears, banana on a stick, princess light up crown and It's a Small World ringing in my ears.

Yeah, it's a small world. Thanks to all of you that make my little spin in it so enriching.