Tannishblog

I’ve been preoccupied in recent weeks with my Only Child’s imminent entrance to College Life. She will be fine, I’m sure, as she has more life skills in hand than anyone I ever knew at that age. What I’ve been pondering is the change in home life after she’s gone.

My marriage is strong, but I would be fooling myself to say we haven’t - by necessity - grown somewhat apart. How far apart remains to be known as we both reach toward the other across the gap. Will we have the reach? This concerns me.

Too, reaching fifty years is not a happy contemplative occasion. This also awaits me near the end of this year. The lengthening list of “Lasts” this small family is accruing adds solemnity to the celebrations of High School graduation: the last orchestra concert, the last jazz band show, the last piano recital, and - occurring this weekend - her last dance recital weekend. Forthcoming is her last art lesson, her last piano lesson and other, tinier closings of a previous life. These add to the “Getting Old” feeling I haven’t shrugged off lately.

So - a changing of gears, a new beginning for my daughter as well as for my marriage. We will persevere, but not without a healthy dose of trepidation. I am reminded of a quote:

“Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn,
a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter;
If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things,
this is the best season of your life.”

–Zen master Wu-men

Six months is enough vacation. Time to start writing again…

What happens to a President-Flogging-End-Of-The-World_Is-Nigh kind of blog when a new administration begins? One that I helped elect?

It goes on vacation.

I’ve still been watching politics, waiting for the "A hah!" stroke of inspiration, but it hasn’t come. Unlike Cowboy politics, discourse and diplomacy takes time. Also, a reasoned approach to politics is lousy as a spectator sport. This is bad news for Mr Obama. His thoughtfulness and eloquence makes for few sound bites. Even the New York Times has trouble quoting the President in its Quote of the Day snippets.

I’ll give the Republicans one thing: They know how a little swagger and machismo can conquer the nightly news. Obama needs some of that.

Maybe he needs to open his shirt a bit for photo ops, or sometimes wear bling and a brim. Or maybe he can sign legislation in sweaty tees with a basketball tucked under one arm. Photos of him talking to heads of state with his feet on the desk would go a lot further if he wore vintage Air Jordons. Surely these tactics would propel his image as An Average Guy With Brains (as opposed to an effete intellectual, or some such.) This stuff is Sound Bite Heaven and is just as manly as clearing brush.

Then perhaps people will forget that half a year has gone by and not much has changed. Before Change You Can Believe in becomes Change You Have To Wait For.