Movie night!

Some of my friends find these to be cynical and unhopeful times. Imagine that.

• People are voting against their interests.
  • Poor counties in my home state that receive hugely larger amounts of help from the federal government than the taxes they pay are solidly and repeatedly voting for candidates dedicated to drastically reducing that assistance.
  • My state has over 400,000 people who now have medical insurance because of the Affordable Care Act and yet they elected a governor and voted for a presidential candidate who campaigned clearly and openly on a promise to put an end to their newly acquired insurance.
  • These things don’t affect me personally except for the accelerating diminishing of my hair as I scratch my head in wonderment.
• Intelligence increasingly is being scorned as undesirable. Legislators are using the phrase “I’m not a scientist” to refuse to listen to scientists…with pride for their cleverness.
• Extreme defensive shifts are damaging major league baseball. That one’s only a concern of mine. My friends are not really bothered by this.

These are disturbing signs. I join my friends in worrying about where this all might be heading.

But I don’t think it’s the end of times.

They’re just different times.

Tonight’s flick is Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries. In it, an aged professor leans out his nocturnal window to receive professions of affection from three young people as they leave him to live their lives in the future. He then lies down to dream of his parents waving their affection for him as they live their lives in the past. He is blissfully nestled in these generational boundaries.

I think that’s relevant…and soothing.

They’re just different times. I’m OK wit’ dat.

BUT I think it would be wise to swallow our egos and listen to scientists and other smart people…and our dogs – we should always listen to our dogs. Our dogs are not all-knowing and all-wise, but all their priorities are spot on.

AND…the batters have got to swallow their egos and hit the ball the opposite way!