Posted 1/8/21… a.k.a. 12/40/20
God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. – Genesis 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. –Acts 1:8
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. –Revelation 1:8
You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. –Luke 12:40
Happy Friday, all! How about this week, eh??? Feeling a little like the 53rd week of 2020 so far. Sigh… anyway, off we go.
I, like the rest of the world, have watched the political dumpster fire happen in shock and awe….shock that it happened and awe that it didn’t turn out even worse. I mean, consider the following:
- There were thousands of folks there of all stripes and opinions.
- There were fewer than expected police despite the fact that we were all in harm’s way when the government is harmed. Folks were invited in to march in a “wild” protest
- Feelings are generally extreme Pro/Con regarding President Trump…more than, perhaps any president since…President Obama.
- It has been said that “All politics is local“. National issues effect everyone. The rioters seemed to be from all over the country…
- The police had to restrain/arrest/even shoot at times to get the desired result.
- There were some areas that were targeted then…and before the demonstration. (Congressfolks’ homes)
- Wisdom was minimal.
- Hate was present before, during and after.
- The problem was bipartisan.
- The fix will be bipartisan and that will require divine intervention.
Perhaps amazingly to some, this mess reminded me of dementia’s attack on the brain. Here is how:
- There were thousands of folks there of all stripes and opinions. In dementia, there are millions suffering. Millions. Really, likely hundreds of millions including the whole planet and those undiagnosed. Every group of society is harmed. Every one. Seniors? Obviously. Folks my age (I am in my very late 20s…49)? Yup…we are caregivers and are starting to get the disease as well. College aged folks? Absolutely. They are caregivers and need the wisdom/experience of seniors that are being killed by dementia. Babies/little nose wipers? There are millions of paw paws/papas and maw maws/gigis being taken from them all of the time. Throw in COVID and yes…all groups are harmed…and harmed badly.
- Folks were invited in to march in a “wild” protest. There were fewer than expected police despite the fact that we were all in harm’s way when the government is harmed. In dementia, as far as my little birdcage liner discussion here goes, think of police as defense against the mob of the disease. Can I get real with you? We know how to fight off dementia in between 33-40% of the cases. There are lifestyle changes that can be made in many cases that will greatly reduce the chances of getting the disease. If you remember nothing I say in this regard, remember this: “What is good for the heart is good for the brain.” The more “police” you can post at your brain’s gate, the better. Once they get in, it is hard to contain them…
- Feelings are generally extreme Pro/Con regarding President Trump…more than perhaps any president since…President Obama. It is very interesting to me how worked up we get over politics. I get it, though…I used to be that way too. However, putting one’s entire hope on a political figure is setting one’s self up for disappointment. Either party. Any party…
- It has been said that “All politics is local“. Dementia, while important in a national sense, is incredibly local. Sure 5 million have the disease and over double will quite soon…my mom and my uncle have it.
- The police had to restrain/arrest/even shoot at times to get the desired result. Both the police and the protestors used extreme measures to try to accomplish their goal. This calls to mind a couple of things in our discussion. First, the disease itself. A lot of what seems to cause the most harm in dementia is the extreme measures our body does to fight the plaque/tangles that have invaded our brain’s functioning. The result: brain mass loss and damage. This concept is also what makes treating the condition so hard. People aren’t exactly lining up to have invasive work done on the brain. The blood/brain barrier stops many treatments from working…a topic we have discussed a few times in the past….some some trials have to be invasive, whether in the brain or in the spinal cord fluid. Much of the research being done today is in less invasive ways to diagnose and treat the condition to avoid the harm done by extreme measures…
- There were some areas that were targeted before, during, and after the demonstration. (The Capitol, Congressfolks’ homes, etc…). Another aspect of dementia that is so hard is that it is extremely unpredictable. There are general patterns that you can expect as the disease progresses, but, by and large, expect the unexpected. If the disease hits the part of the brain that does X function, X becomes erratic or it fails. The condition can lay dormant for a while…then explode with a vengeance …or it can creep along. That is what makes it so unpredictable.
- Wisdom was minimal.- There are a hundred bad decisions leading up to the riots and 1,000 during. I saw nothing that appeared to be much more than anger, frustration and blind hate. There were very few commentators who “remained” unbiased as well. In short, what the situation…and America… needs is wisdom. It needs it in buckets and it needs it now. Same with dementia researchers. The problem is growing like crazy and the funds are sure to be drying up soon as we have printed and printed money that is borrowed from 2 generations ahead… The end of the borrowing and the inevitable cuts…including possibly dementia research…are coming soon. Pray for wisdom.
- The problem was bipartisan. I am embarrassed for both sides of the political spectrum these days. In the riots I am embarrassed for the right. In the election, I am embarrassed for the media and…well…both sides. Wanting to keep the presidency or end a presidency doesn’t justify any of the last several months. I am a non-partisan person in most issues (moral issues aside…) and I am frustrated watching this mess. Many good folks on both sides made dumb choices…and we are all harmed by it. Dementia don’t give a flying froyo flop what party you belong to. It is coming for you and won’t quit until you are gone. We have to keep this topic separate from our politics and we cannot burn bridges (literally or figuratively) in a passionate rage that matter when it comes time to fixing the mess that is dementia. Be careful right and left…this disease just doesn’t care a bit.
- The fix will be bipartisan and that will require Divine intervention. Any hope to restore the government to the way things used to be will require continued dialogue, not mindless monologue or deity-less demagogues. Humility and linking arms in areas of common ground with those with whom we disagree has a much better chance of solving the big problems than what both sides are doing these days. Will this ever happen? LOL…who knows? Honestly, it is hard to see a path from point A to B there…but divine intervention can happen. Will there ever be a cure for dementia? I mean, with the political climate in which we now live, I fear it is more likely one side will “claim” dementia as their cause (lots of voter sympathy) which will cause the other side to strip funding and fight endlessly. The brain’s extraordinary complexity also plays into this last question. There is sooooo much we don’t know. Can it happen? With the Lord’s blessing, it can happen today. Will it happen? If it be His will, there will be more and more folks searching for a cure and He will use one of these folks to finally #EndALZ . That is my hope and prayer. And while I pray, I also pray for peace and wisdom in this tumultuous time. Until it plays out, all we can do is do our best to bring peace, serve folks in humility as best we can, and to fight for a cure.
Update: Nothing new with mom. I video chatted with her Wednesday. I got one little smile out of her. I am hoping and praying that a vaccinated population will result in visits being restored. We are over 300 days since we had free and easy access…and we are tired. #IsolationKillsToo
Parting thought: I hate politics. I am NOT fond of either party. I love peace. To my politically-minded friends and family I say God bless and keep you. I also say to please remember that the solutions that matter eternally won’t be found on TV nor in a political figure of either party. CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, screaming radio folks, and the rest won’t report on the real need in our country…our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Him I will hope this goes away and I will trust if it doesn’t. Be careful trusting in anything less…
Now I resume my non-political blog. 😉 (Unless the murder hornets come back… I hear they voted for _____! That explains it!)
So glad you share your Christianity!
It is my only true source of strength. 🙂