Trouble

America is currently in deep trouble. 

With the latest Supreme Court decision regarding redistricting of electoral maps, the GOP will now take a scythe to all the states they control and eliminate as many democratic seats as possible. 

This is because they have no interest in democracy but instead hold a drastically different vision of the country; one which involves pushing back the tide of what they see as an invasion of cultural progress they despise. 

This battle is for the soul of the country and not what is best for what is increasingly a marginalized electorate that is losing the affordability crisis. 

As the empire crumbles in on itself you will see more desperation from people who feel they have nothing to lose. The more affluent will consider leaving for safer places while those who cannot may begin to enact vengeance on a country they don't feel cares about them. 

The Trump crime family has enriched itself immeasurably during their hold on power which is a first in American history and a sign that things have devolved to a point the founders would have dreaded.

Add to that the isolationist economic policies, and you have a situation where the US will be left out of global alliances which aim to stabilize economies and return some levels of prosperity to people struggling.

As the world remakes itself for the next global era, America risks disarray by falling prey to misguided cultural division and enriching an already fat cat upper class that doesn't believe in fair taxation.

In other words, deep trouble.

Lacerations

Michel Courtemanche is 61 and a well known Quebecois comic. I watched his very frank interview during which he shared his personal battles with substance abuse, jealous rages and his eventual diagnosis with bipolar disorder. 

He states unequivocally that he now knows how to live and wants to be left alone. He has learned how to rely on the self and no longer seeks life company. 

This is something which today I comprehend viscerally. We get to a point where we understand ourselves too well and know how to meet our needs without compromise. 

Michel has been burned enough times by now to know what is good for him. 

Such admissions are rare because celebrity interviews can sometimes be superficial and bathe liberally in the saccharine. This hour-long discussion (en Francais) delved deep into the humanity of a comic we may have been tempted to think had it all. 

He had achieved fame and wealth at a young age but something inside was unsettled and needed mending. 

His life lessons resonated with me because no one fully escapes the lacerations that life provides. 

If we are lucky they can convert themselves into deep knowledge of the self.

Learning

When we get older we have already experienced many of the life ups and downs that are now permanently registered in the memory. We understand the consequences of decisions and can anticipate the pros and cons much in advance. 

It takes experience to learn how to live. 

As I watched my exuberant and large extended family last night, I thought about the victories and missteps some of them might make; the upcoming marriages, babies and newfound relationships that excite until they no longer do. 

My prize for the evening was that my son came which was a victory on his way back to a place he wants to be. We fall, we get back up and do it all over again because we must. 

It is the only way to learn.

Concensus

The reason that the dysphoria versus no dysphoria argument divides gender variant people is because the term "trans" is so elastic. It has become synonymous with gender variance as a whole which encompasses all manner of infringement on the old binary. 

Why does this matter? Well it shouldn't because it can become a rabbit hole which then risks you becoming obsessed with comparison. 

Only each person knows what they must do to live authentically and honestly except that authenticity doesn't come with pre-packaged instructions. When there are slightly varying definitions of what "trans" means it forces us into defending our territory and our legitimacy through some common concensus. 

The transmedicalism argument will never disappear as it appeals most to those with the most intense forms of gender dysphoria. They feel in their bones that their transition wasn't one of choice but instead one of absolute necessity. 

Conversely, others are less convinced about the concept of a "condition" and are more attracted to the idea of euphoria or "trans joy" if you will. The freedom to choose to express who one is.

There isn't right or wrong here but instead a viewpoint tethered to how influential this dilemma of identity has been for each of them. The child who knew early on that they were  different and never wavered is going to be more drawn to the idea that their identity wasn't nested in choice. 

I see much content on YouTube surrounding the question of "trans" authenticity when instead there should be a concensus regarding simply letting people live as they choose.

Now there's a novel idea.

Oh well

I'm all bandaged up and healing on antibiotics, ready for my mother's 90th birthday dinner this evening. My sister is even flying in from Vancouver. 

Limited walking and open toe shoes for me for 2 to 3 weeks. 

Oh well :(

No lock

If we care what people think we've given away all our power. Suddenly their opinions govern how we live our lives which makes little sense. 

Life is short and as we progress within it we see patterns emerge which makes us want to escape. We are caught in a spider web and don't quite know how to detach.

Here is where being our worst enemy becomes our downfall until we finally realize that the door to our prison had no lock to begin with.

Strongman

The strong man formula is as old as civilization itself. Set up an infallible leader to control the narrative and hypnotize the population through a show of strength only to see the entire house of cards later collapse. 

True efficacy of the leader is much less important than the propaganda they spew.

The problem with this political tactic is that you create a cult of personality which surrounds the leader. It encourages a culture of fear where contradiction of the figure head brings potential violence to anyone who dares say a negative word. The hypnotized cult will come to your door in the middle of the night.

Dissent ostensibly then becomes a punishable offense. 

America ended up here by not addressing deep seated issues related to racism, economic inequality, foreign policy, etc. 

Most people in power surrounding Trump already realize they made a grave error but admitting it too loudly will only guarantee self destruction. Hence, they must defend the indefensible knowing they will likely go down with the ship. Better that than face the pitchforks of the populace I suppose. 

Rats like Tucker Carlson (an odious white nationalist grifter) have already smelled the trade winds and have disowned the emperor. The penalty for doing so isn't grave considering the poll numbers are in the basement and will only worsen. 

However, the ensuing damage will be generational which makes me feel bad for the victims who didn't ask or buy into it.

It's as old as time.

I hope she's happy

I wondered what became of Shania Twain's young drummer and so I did some research. 

Elijah had become Elia which I knew; a progression which took her from androgynous youth to clearly female presenting. Then suddenly she disappeared. 

I then came upon a GoFundMe page which was about collecting funds for her completion surgery and suddenly the mystery was solved. An anonymous benefactor had offered her the remaining needed funds and in 2022 she had the surgery at age 25. 

There were some entries from her about the relief and her lifelong struggle with gender dysphoria. She wrote about her battles with depression and anxiety and there was mention of a suicide attempt. 

I hope she's happy now.

Patient

Mark Carney wisely took his time and didn't panic. 

Now, as the US and Canada trade talks resume, that strategy will pay off because Americans are hopping mad about affordability. Not just the price of gas but the price of everything else. 

Turns out that having an economically illiterate idiot as your president isn't good for your country. Tariffs have been like tying an anvil to your neck and dropping anchor.

If Trump takes a hard line against Canada and increases tariffs on Canadian goods, that decision will be combed over with a microscope. Average Americans will blow a fuse and with good reason. 

The deals Carney made with other countries in the meantime bought him time and removed the pressure of needing a quick deal with the buffoonish American president. 

He's got a better hand because he played the patient game.

You've been warned

Mood control can be more challenging when we aren't as busy as we used to be. We have removed major life distractions and haven't fully replaced them. 

I warn people about retirement in that once the vacation mindset is over, there will be a period of instability where we seek to cement an identity outside of our previous existence. 

Of course this depends on what each person does for a living. However, regardless of whether it was passion or not, it likely occupied much space and distracted us away from full self discovery. 

For older transgender people this period risks being even more magnified as they may have left unresolved issues on the table because life got in the way. 

Thus for a time we will be more apt to oscillate emotionally until we reach a new baseline. 

Overthinkers, you've been warned.

The ego

Humility isn't about destroying the ego but about making it more subservient to our needs. 

Today more than ever, people will fight with a fervor fed by the courage of anonymity on social media platforms. This is because the ego cannot take a hit by admitting we might be wrong. We have liberalized knowledge with alternative facts to suit our needs. 

We say things with confidence as a substitute for understanding topics. 

Researching gender variance over the years taught me this very well. People will create scripts for themselves and lock them into place without too much questioning. This goes for some gender variant people as well as their haters. 

We can apply this phenomenon to almost any area of human affairs.

Truth becomes of less importance than carrying a simple narrative in our heads which serves our purpose. Either that or complete disinterest in digging further.

The earth is flat and that's all there is to it. Just make sure to say it with confidence.