Thursday, November 10, 2016

My township will benefit from this election, and so will I


When I became Fiscal Officer, thirteen years ago, I continued my regular working hours. Up at seven, behind the desk by eight. I was stunned the minuscule amount of work involved in the job, part time though it was.

To earn my keep, I sorted through all my work and streamlined it for my auditors. Then I filed ten or more years of zoning paperwork hanging around in the meeting room. I looked for more jobs, found them, started them. 

That’s when I hit the wall. Two thirds of the trustees had no problem, one third screamed “Exceeding your authority….!!!”

I hit the wall so often in my first term, I lost twenty pounds. I stuck it chiefly due to the friendship of another first term clerk who had a sympathetic and knowledgeable mayor to work with.

By my second term our post office didn’t open until nine, and why should I go back at nine to get the mail when I was at the office at eight. I simply set my alarm ahead an hour to accommodate the post office. I still had the work done in three hours a day, two or three days a week. (Yes, I quit going to the post office most days.)

I kept my hand in at exceeding my authority (and taking the consequences from the 1/3). Didn’t want to lose my edge. It’s like driving fast now and then.

This third term I still get up at eight, but now I read the news, read blogs, even look at FaceBook, before I ever go out the front door. Maybe I get there by ten, if I’m going to work instead of to knitting group or cards. I can wrap it up in so little time I’m occasionally ashamed of myself, so I drag out another half hour in a chat with the Road Super.

Yesterday I brushed my teeth and showered before I turned on the computer and hit the wall again.  I ate breakfast, went to the post office, and was behind the desk by nine. I had my part of the evening trustee meeting prepared by ten, so I came home and sat in my drive until I went to lunch with the knitters, where politics are not allowed.

Today I have my grip.

We are the majority. We have a full deck. Love trumps hate, and so do grace, charity, kindness, respect.

I mailed the bills, filed the paperwork, wrote last night’s minutes and ate my lunch. I’m on my way to the sewing store. I need thread and bobbins and a lint brush and a trash can. I need to make hippie clothes. I’ve marched and stood in front of bulldozers. I can do it again.

Remember Joe Hill. Don’t mourn. Organize.

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,
Alive as you and me.
Says I "But Joe, you're ten years dead"
"I never died" said he.

36 comments:

  1. Your positive attitude is inspiring - and right.

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  2. That's the spirit Joanne - I am full of admiration.

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  3. Hari OM
    The deed is done; now to deal with its consequences. Love, of the capital 'ell' variety, is definitely the trump card. I have no doubt you will play it well... YAM xx

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  4. You are so right. I think it has already started. Keep the faith, sister!

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  5. I love your attitude, and I need some hippie clothes, too. Not sure what they are -- I'm probably already wearing them.

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  6. I hit that same wall! Am still reeling. There will be no TV or Internet news in this house for a good while. I just refuse to hear of such a grand fiasco. Of course, putting it out of miy mind is difficult. I, too have a knitting group where politics does not enter. The meeting is here at my house. That helps. Another big help for me is my group of friends in blogland. You, Friko, Ellen, and several others sure make the whole dilemma less painful. Thank you. And, keep on with that "exceeding your authority". I wish somebody up there in the sky would exceed authority and overrule the big, impossible mess!!!

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  7. I always remember Joe Hill. We shall overcome.

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  8. Understanding is the hardest part for me....

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  9. Yes.
    And from this side of the world you have cyber companions in your march.

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  10. Head high, keep warm, since Winter is Coming❣Linda@Wetcreek Blog

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  11. Yes, we are the majority!
    In solidarity xox

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  12. I was surprised at the outcome but more surprised when I heard the only 55% voted.
    Merle................

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  13. Trump hates love? It's only a job, remember.

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    1. Much to lose, nothing to gain. And we're not talking my job.

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  14. Remembering Joe Hill as well! Some 40+ years ago I remember sitting, hundreds of us sitting, in silent protest.

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  15. I'll remember Joe Hill all right and Sacco and Vanzetti too.

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  16. I seem to remember a song about Joe Hill. I need to look it up. I suspect you don't give up on anything. all the best in this new adventure of our country.

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    Replies
    1. Please do. And listen to a lot of versions. I couldn't find Woody.

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  17. You have a sewing store in your town? Do you live in 1959? (being only a bit facetious).

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    1. Actually JoAnn Fabric world headquarters. I went in there today for thread and oil and such, and the line was out the door with Halloween closeouts and Christmas doorbusters. I came home, and am about to go to my favorite retailer, Amazon.

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    2. Oh! I would never describe JoAnns as a sewing store. Giant craft store is more like it. I pictured a little storefront on Main Street when you said sewing store. I told my husband about your "sewing store," and he immediately wondered if it was something like Hobby Lobby or JoAnns. He's more in tune than I am!

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    3. Wouldn't that be nice. I will never set foot in HobbyLobby, homophobes. It's been years since I was in JoAnn, and that didn't work out. Today everything I ordered from Amazon to start sewing again is on my doorstep. Maybe we can reform their working practices while we're at it.

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  18. I do my best to ignore all politics, I did the 60's and I don't have to do them any more, not my problem.

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  19. I am finally in the majority, not P/C, hoping for a better economy, and finally not deplorable. For those protesting, get over yourselves. When Obama was elected, did we conservatives burn a flag and light fires? Joan Baez sang "Joe Hill" beautifully.

    Excellent post.

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    1. I do remember tea party protests, wearing funny hats, members making racists notions., claiming Obama wasn't born in America, calling the Obamas monkeys, and threatening to leave the union (illegal by the way), and bringing up the idea of violently rebelling against the government which is literally treason.

      The Tea Party protests were mainly fear of losing "guns" (more likely assault weapons as Obama's congress couldn't even pass a background check), higher taxes, and more regulations.

      Anti-Trump protesters are in fear of losing civil rights and bitter the electoral college elected a man who's made more gaffes and scandals than anyone can remember off the top of their head. Anyone who isn't a rich Christian White Male should be concerned. That's the only rights the GOP seems to care about.

      Telling protesters to get over themselves is a bit hypocritical. But to be honest, both sides are guilty of this. Freedom of speech is often misunderstood. It protects the government from putting you in jail or fining you or putting some type of censor down. It doesn't mean you have to respect anyone's opinion. Nazism is an opinion, but I don't think anyone really respected that in America during 1945.

      But you should expect a very fierce opposition from liberals on Trump. Obama was not treated fairly and not given the proper respect from conservatives. Respect is a two-way street I'm afraid. Though to be fair, I don't expect our new Democratic president to be treated with respect from the right-wing.


      And if 48% voted for Clinton, and 47% voted for Trump how are you in the majority again? Especially if you consider most stay-at-home voters (almost half the country) would most likely vote for Clinton or any other Democrat if they had to pick someone at the voting booth.

      I'm concerned for civil rights. I'm concerned that Trump and his minions will give corporations more power and control than they already have. I'm also concerned for the economy. I do agree with Trump on the fact that we need to keep jobs out of the 3rd world and bring them home but I don't really expect him to put that move in play. Tax cuts for the rich does not create jobs as a supply-based economy is nonsensical. A demand-based economy creates jobs. A rich man can't make a dime if the common people don't have money to buy his product/services. They were federally taxed at 94% in the 1940's at the highest job creation rate ever, so getting it below 30-35% does not make sense to me as I've often learned they just pocket that money for themselves.

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    2. Good post, kid. Good job.
      Every damn thing you said was true. I'm 71, I can attest to it.

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    3. I fail to see how you are in the majority and being PC was what allowed the people in a country as varied as ours to live together peacefully. Another word for PC is respect, treating people as equals and with respect. you Trump supporters threw that out the window and now think you are entitled to say whatever hateful thing you want to a total stranger because of whatever judgements you make about them based on the color of their skin or their religion or their sexual orientation or their disability. I fail to see how this has made our society better. we're seeing the results of throwing PC out the window with hateful graffiti, taunting and bullying, and actual physical violence all perpetrated on 'the other' by Trump supporters in these days since the election. you want us to come together, to get over it? speak out against the hate and violence and start treating all your fellow citizens as equals and with respect.

      and yes, conservatives have spent the last 8 years protesting Obama from conspiracy theories about his legitimacy to depraved and vile memes not just about him but his wife and daughters to outright complete and total obstruction by congress from day 1 even if they were previously in favor of it and even if it was good for the country. and they are still doing it.

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    4. Thank you Mike. I wondered if you would take me to task for thinking we ended the war through protests. We didn't. But we made a lot of noise, took care of our own quarter acre and some bigger stuff, like civil rights. Why are we not afraid to face our challenges? Why do so many hate so much? I'm about to formally join and work for the democratics and make a lot of quilts for kids in hospitals to drag around.
      I love all of us who will be working on getting through the next four years.

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  20. Isn't it nice when you can get so well organised at work that you have so much time left over?
    A friend and I did something similar in the shoe factory, we were sent to sort out something in the warehouse section and did it in two hours. We got told off, that sorting was supposed to last us a week. This was in the last few days before the place closed down permanently

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  21. I'm working overtime at being kind, volunteering...there's too much darkness now and I'm trying to shine a light.

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  22. Nice one Joanne. I am SO there with you. Funny, I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night, too! :)

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  23. I like to be organized, too, and I have fought against laziness in the office different times over the years. You will always have dissenters that do not like change on any level-even if it is for the betterment of everyone.
    Love the "Joe Hill"....xo Diana

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  24. You are a strong woman. I do more in my new job than need to as it keeps me busy. Someone smiled yesterday when I told them I was off to mop the floor to keep busy.

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  25. Good advice, Joanne. You sound like an organisational powerhouse.

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