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by Nelia Dingcong Bernabe
November 6, 2010
There is no question that I’ve mastered the art of procrastination. Every week, I knowingly put off writing my column until the very end when things get really ugly and panic sets in.
Ah…the dilemma of a procrastinator disguised as a writer.
Churning articles every week has become a challenge. For lack of a better word, self-absorption has become my go-to weapon of choice when inspiration and motivation decide to turn their backs on me. It’s a predicament that confronts the best of us logophiles. It happens and in my case, it happens all the time.
I have shamelessly caved in to the senseless lure of waiting at the last minute and then riding that guilt-ridden train to “loathe-land” for allowing it to happen. Ironic but true! Worst, nothing has really caught my eye this week. Oy vey!
So let’s do a recap instead. This is a huge week for politics and I am quite proud to say that I voted. It really didn’t start out that way though. Honestly, I wasn’t going to do it. I just didn’t feel like voting but in the course of the day, I had a change of heart. I decided to be a responsible citizen and drove that extra quarter mile to my polling center and voted for my party of choice.
But what’s politics without a little comedy? As of this writing, Bill Brady has not conceded. With Pat Quinn’s sliver of a lead – 19,000 votes, I wonder how long Brady is going to hold out? Hopefully by the time I’m done with this article. The Associated Press got tired of waiting so they’ve made their prediction. Quinn in their estimation will bag the governor’s seat and he won’t be a lame-duck politician “no more!” Already then.
I lied. There was one thing that caught my eye a day after the election. There was a report that said in part, “Obama has admitted to losing touch with voters.” Say what?
I read that paragraph a few times with raised brows for I can’t seem to grasp the thought of the president losing touch with the people who put him in power. Huh?
Who are you? Where have you been the last two years? Where were you when over a million Americans lost their jobs and the house market collapsed? Lost touch? You waited for this election to realize the severity of the rumblings of the common folks? Shame…shame…shame!
It’ll be interesting to watch how this shift in power is going to play out in Washington. Just a few days after the election, the GOP leaders are already setting their sights to 2012 and how to make sure that Obama does not win a re-election. Again, the shift in power really does not mean anything. It’s all a pissing match for these politicians and once again, it’s the little people who will bear the brunt of their rhetoric. What else is new?
Let’s switch gears for a moment and be a little self-absorbed. I have one little gripe to make. What’s up with some people? I really don’t make a big stink out of anything anymore and it has been a while since I’ve done that but there’s one person that really gets my goat every time she gets into a tizzy for no reason.
Nothing really gets me more than those types of people who just do not want to play nice. You know, the territorial types who guard their so-called perimeter with ironclad claws. Sharing must not be a popular word in their homes when they were growing up.
It’s one thing to tout that you’re the next best thing since sliced bread but it would even work to your advantage if you sprinkle the hype with a generous coating of humility and kindness. Share, people; it makes for a better world! I just don’t get them. They have so much going for them yet they don’t know what being nice means. Shame…shame…shame!
Human as I am, duh, I sometimes get tired of being the bigger person all the time. It takes a toll on you and, boy, there are times when I just want to crack my knuckles and twiddle my fingers in the air. The funny thing about these people though is usually their bark is worse than their bite. Even funnier is they’re clueless when it comes to whom they’re dealing with. All I can say is don’t push your luck for you might awaken the sleeping dragon and then what? You’ll be in deep doo-doo, you little stinker!
On hindsight though, those people are not worth the extra wrinkle. In the end, it is always better to be the bigger person. I truly believe that God puts these difficult people in our lives to make us better human beings. As much as it is really difficult for me to bite my tongue and look at the situation from a compassionate perspective after being backed to a corner, having a positive attitude always works out in the most difficult of situations.
Life is too short to worry about people who are rather stuffy and full of themselves. I say let them be and practice self-restraint. Be the bigger person and pick your battles. Snoots hate it when you let things slide and when they see that nothing seems to get to you.
Politicians are of a different breed however. Not only do they believe in “much ado about nothing” but for them, it’s much ado about everything. I just checked and BB is still holding out hope and it looks like we might have to wait for that concession speech a little longer.
Well, look at that! We’ve managed to reach the end. Procrastinating is really not that bad after all. Sometimes you get lucky and your mind wanders and you get that rare chance to vent over silly stuff and get to finish your article. The only downside? I get a few hours of sleep. No promises but we’ll see what happens next week. For now, I raise a really huge cup of extra bold java!