Good Morning

Behind El Museo Cultural which hosts our annual Currents new media art exhibit.

What a morning it already has been! I accused one of the workers on our 'monstrosity', our brand new 11-plex movie theater, who in a very nice chat had revealed to me that he is from Las Cruces, the southern, more conservative part of our state, of not standing up for his beliefs because he did not wish to reveal to me his political leanings. I had inquired, with a big grin, if he voted for Susana, my derogatory term for our Republican Governor! 

Truth is I feel like I lived in a 'new-agey' bubble among like- and alternative minded folks. Somehow it seems to me we missed the turn to the right our country took. These days I feel a need to know, I really want to know what people  are thinking, feeling and standing for. I wonder and ponder why we are in the mess we are in? Who are my fellow Americans whose political choices, or lack of, entwine us in to a shared fate? Yeah, blame it on others! Well, no, I blame myself some, ever since 9/11 for not having been engaged enough on a social and political level. So I ask, always with a smile, and express myself often to strangers, often with mixed results.

I do believe we are social animals. We tend to follow a herd kind of mentality. I can see it in myself, doing often unconsciously what others are doing, or demonstrating to me. Somebody does not pick up after their dogs, something I abhor, soon enough I find reasons to not wanna pick up after mine. Seems to me this is only natural, so I have to engage reason, sense and sensibility, to do the right thing. (I pick up after my dogs, I say 97% of the time and make up for it on those rare occasions I did not.) Seems to me that if enough people speak their minds and express themselves honestly and engage, rather then disconnect, the people as a whole, our society will move forward in a positive direction. Am I mistaken? No, blaming of course is not the way forward, but holding accountable ought to be part of it. Stating our truth and engaging with those that think differently ought to be part of it. Looking at any one thing from many different angles ought to be part of moving our society and social conscience forward. Dismiss this as the ramblings of an aging, socially isolated, lone and too talkative woman if you must.

Stormy Weather