I was surprised to learn about President Obama’s Nobel Peace prize award on Facebook this morning.

My first thought? “Wow! That’s cool!”

I didn’t give any thought to whether he deserved it or not.  “Cause see, I wasn’t on the committee.  My opinion didn’t count because I didn’t have a vote.

I wanted to hear his press conference even though I do all I can to avoid what passes for news these days.  I turned on MSNBC thinking I could tolerate it more than CNN.

I was wrong.

I was really shocked by the reaction and discussion.  Hmmm…this really deserves a discussion beyond “Hey the US President just won the Nobel Peace Prize”?

Can someone help me understand the need to spend ALL FREAKING DAY talking about what it means?

What it means, dumbass, is that President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  In December, he’ll go off to collect his award and get some money, make a speech and go on with the business of the day. No amount of talking, complaining, whining, bitching, moaning, agreeing or disagreeing changes the fact that he won the award.

Besides, today is Bo’s birthday. Get a grip.

Ok, Ok, I’m being my usual bitchy self.  But seriously, is anyone sitting around debating his worthiness around this actually more deserving?

If so, let me be the first to say, “Tough break.  Better luck next year.”

If not, let me say, “Shut the f*** up.”

(Damn…I was trying to be nice today.)

Perhaps I am naive, but I’m missing the point of this debate.

For the past 8 years, we as a country have held up both hands and flipped off the rest of the world.

We believed that 9/11 entitled us to do so.   To make sure everyone was on board with that, we were fed a daily diet of fear.  Out of that, as if programmed, we regurgitated what we heard on TV and even our pulpits.

“They hate us.”

“We have to defend our way of life.”

Muslims = TERRORISTS.

“If you’re not with us, you’re with the terrorists.”

“Remember 9/11.”

All of that gave us the “right” to invade a sovereign nation, detain 100s of people without charge, justify torture with the sorry-ass excuse, “I was just following orders”, spy on our own citizens and call the deaths of 1000s of  innocent civilians “collateral damage”. (Hey, they weren’t Americans and they didn’t matter anyway.)

So, this socialist, communist, Hitler-wanna-be, hatin’all white people President we have had the gall to stop flippin’ off the rest of the world and say, “let’s work together on these issues that affect us globally because we are ALL IN IT TOGETHER” and we don’t have anything better to do than to question whether or not he EARNED this award?

Wow.  And tell me again,what have YOU done to advocate peace in the world?

I think this so-called dialogue is yet another distraction.  We can rant and rave about how he has more pressure and how high the bar is set and on and on.

Or we can step back and say, “Hmm..today the world honored the US for a change in direction.  President Obama is simply a symbol of that change.  It is up to us as US citizens whether we will support him in continuing down the path of peace.  Is this the change I want to see in the world?”

What are you going to choose?

Fear.

Love.

Hate.

Peace.

Every day that choice is yours.

Today, the US President was awarded the Nobel Peace prize.

What are you going to do about it?

I began this post a couple of days ago and I must admit, it’s toned down a bit.  The original title was,”Are you fuckin’ kidding me?”   I’ve grown a bit.

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The last thing I want to get into is a political debate.  My new mantra is “I allow others their experience” because quite frankly, I am extremely judgmental.  (Since I am my own worst critic, it stands to reason I am yours, too. )

Seriously, tho’, the idea being bounced around that Sarah Palin will bring former Hilliary Clinton supporters across the divide is absurd.

Am I supposed to believe that Hillary Clinton supporters so desperately want a woman in the White House that they’ll vote for McCain on the off chance he dies?

That plumbing matters more than politics?

This is a joke, right?

So what’s the plan, ladies?  We conspire to vote for someone we don’t really want, then collectively chant, dance and pray for his death, so our dream of having a woman in power comes to pass?

Gimme a break.

I would have loved to see Hillary go all the way.  I’ve been a big fan for years.  But, c’mon.  As Madeleine Albright so eloquently said in a recent speech, “ This is not a question of gender, it’s a question of agenda.”   Are you telling me that we are so pissed our girl didn’t get in that we’d elect a team and agenda that promises to set women back 50 years?  

Am I the only one who sees the error in this logic?

Ladies, we can piss, whine, complain and moan ’cause we didn’t get what we wanted.  But’s let keep it real.  This election is serious and the future of our children, our country, maybe even our world is at stake. 

I am not asking you to vote for Barack Obama.  I am asking you to consider your vision for the world.  Examine the issues.  Look for common ground.  We are not going to agree on every point.   Don’t be distracted by hot-button issues that only serve to divide us.

I’m mean really.  What’s more painful?  Adam and Steve getting married or the $5/gal for gas?

Stay focused.  Listen with your heart and decide.

Then cast your vote accordingly.

As Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Live More Boldly!

Lisa

In two days, I will finally walk away from my former life in another city.  I started this blog as a way to begin to heal from the painful process of letting go of everything I’d spent years building.  I’ve cried more tears, cursed “god” numerous times, and filled 3 full journals, so that I could come to grips with letting go.

In the kitchen the other night as I was thinking about the upcoming election,  I remembered Barack Obama’s campaign slogan:  “Change you can believe in.”

We don’t like change.  Most of us go out of our way to avoid it.  But, let’s face it, it’s the ONLY thing that’s constant.  You won’t always like it nor do you have to.  But it’s truly unavoidable.

Your kids will grow up.

Your parents will die.

Your job will change.

Friends will come and go.

And the list goes on.

If you’ve been spared the kind of change that brings you to your knees, than this post isn’t for you.  But if you have, I want to offer you this hope.

Einstein once said that “you can’t solve a problem with the same mind that created it. “  In other words, you have to be in a different place, think a different way,  in order to create a solution.

So, if the rug has been pulled out from under you, you’ve been given a HUGE opportunity to create something new.  Not just, tweak something here or there.  But to CONSCIOUSLY create what you REALLY, REALLY want.

When it’s all gone (or feels that way), you get to start over.  From scratch. 

And if you start to see it as an opportunity instead of a crisis, that new thinking will feel like being a little kid at Disneyland.  In other words, where do you want to start first?  How do you want to play today?

Everything can become fresh and exciting again.  Because with the old stuff all gone, you realize that you can CHOOSE what you want in it’s place.

And my friends, YOU are the Creator of your experience.

So what do you wish to choose, NOW?

I no longer want to wallow in what I’ve lost.  I no longer want to wallow about what “they” are saying about me or what “they” think.  I no longer want to feel sorry for myself or beat myself up for my “failure.”

Today I am choosing to acknowledge myself for creating these circumstances so that I could begin again.  I get to finally create a life on my terms.  I no longer give a shit  whether people think it’s silly, or that I’m this or that or the other thing.  That’s their crap.  I don’t want to fit in. 

And I am no longer playing small so that others will feel comfortable in my presence.

This is truly change I can believe in.

Look out, world.

Lisa

“The Resident Diva”