I'm back from a physically and mentally taxing trip. I didn't plan on it being a fun trip, and it really wasn't.
The food was not so good. It was hit or miss and I'm not sure who planned the menus, but I need to find out so I can tell them, raw asparagus truly does suck. I said to the women at my table, upon the first 'crunch', as I absolutely could not believe, they were REALLY serving us raw aspargus, "I have never had it right out of the ground before!"
I had a roommate. Typically I go to these meetings and do my own thing. I need the down time from my family, but times are tight and so I offered up the other bed to a girlfriend of mine.
She snores. I had no clue.
Fortunately, I was so beat every night, I didn't care.
And I stood in front of 300 women at a meeting, and went against the establishment, spoke against something I thought was wrong. I turned the tide and all but 13 women sided with me come voting time.
People stopped me later and said it took a tremendous amount of guts to do what I did and I told them, "I have a moral compass I have to live by. I have to look at myself in the morning. This went against it, so I had to speak up."
But deep inside my soul, I wonder now, "Why would these people not speak up for what is right?" I made some serious enemies... but do you think I care?
I did what was right.
I worry for this country at times. This end of this Country will be "Death by Lemming".
Mark my words.
Posted by Boudicca at March 14, 2010 09:32 PMDeath by Lemming? It's well underway in the US Congress.
So next time I see you you'll have to tell me what you talked about. And yes, we are in deep trouble in this country.
Posted by: Denny at March 14, 2010 09:50 PMIs it just me? I feel like pulling into my shell a bit lately and battening down the hatches before the shit storm hits.
Posted by: PeggyU at March 15, 2010 11:19 AMIt's always been that way.
In an organization of good size you have only a few who will stand up and speak out if they think something is wrong - very very few.
Those who can't stomach what is happening, but don't like to fight will simply leave - you didn't hear from them.
The rest will feel bad but decide it's not worth the aggravation to say anything... they are the ones who believe everything will work itself out - they now feel they were proved right because someone (you) DID stand up and make a case. They also learned nothing but they wouldn't anyway.
My father dealt with that kind of thing back when he was running several organizations. And naturally those who came before him had these issues too... back to the beginning of people gathering. It's human nature. The older we get the more we run into it.
It's a small percentage of people who decide the direction of the world.
Posted by: Teresa at March 15, 2010 10:38 PMIt used to seem so trite to say something like, "If not you, who?" (And dang, I am not sure if the " belongs inside or outside the ?. And should I have put the period there?)
Sadly, the older I get, the more I see the split between those who will speak up, and those who watch. Life is not a spectator sport, but hard to tell when we interact with groups... And I find myself asking "If not me, who?", and it either indicates I am getting old and trite, or it is more needed than ever... Or perhaps there is another interpretation, but it escapes me right now...
Sigh... Although I do not know the content of your discussion, I can assure you that you are not alone. I just hope there are enough people waking up to avoid "Death by Lemming."
Posted by: jck at March 16, 2010 10:32 AMTeresa- I do believe that summed it up perfectly.
JCK- I think I see so many sleeping people in America. It truly is frightening!
Peggy- The question is... when is the sh-- storm coming and there are days it feels imminent.
Denny- Absolutely! When I see you next.