Action 22: Gotta love words!

So Glad You Are Here

When I need a new word, I make one up.

I am not alone.

How do you think the word ‘CENTIPEDE’ 
got started?

It became absolutely necessary!

Imagine a kid having to say, ‘Mom, there is a long, flattened, many-segmented predaceous arthropod, with modified poisonous  fangs  CRAWLING UP MY ARM!’

See what I mean?

Sometimes a new word becomes absolutely necessary!

May I propose a word that rhymes with democracy:   MONEYOCRAZY

Here is the definition of my brand new word:  MONEYOCRAZY

A government for the money and by the money, which caters to a few. 

By contrast, let me define DEMOCRACY in the following succinct manner:
A government for the people and by the people, which serves all.

Now, I will remember life before my shiny new word,  MONEYOCRAZY.

I may want to ask Senator Troy the following question:

‘Senator Troy, We have lost our democracy to the pernicious destruction of principles manifested in our constitution due to the infiltration of monetary superiority, which influences great manipulation of the legislative processes to perpetuate the pernicious greed of a few.  And what do you plan to do about this?’

Got lost?   Right!  Well, Senator Troy got lost too and switched the topic
to his loyal friends in Idaho. 

Now, let us imagine life after my sparkly new word, MONEYOCRAZY.

We simply ask Senator Troy the following question:

'Senator Troy, We have lost our democracy to moneocrazy.  
What do you plan to do about this?’

In case, Senator Troy did not catch the question, and begins to talk about his loyal friends
in Idaho, you just ask that same simple question again,

‘Senator Troy, we have lost our democracy to moneocrazy.  
What do you plan to do about this?’

...  and again,

‘Senator Troy, we have lost our democracy to moneocrazy.  
What do you plan to do about this?’

Keep it simple.  

Repetition is good.

Yours truly,  Bena

Peep and the Parade by Bena

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Celebrate words .... they matter! 

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Action 21: What a Sandbox!

So Glad You Are Here!

Sometimes I can barely catch my breath.

Stuff just keeps HAPPENING!

First, the shooting in Aurora, Colorado.

Then, the massive fires in the West and hurricane Isaac in the South.

Now, that U-tube posting by a self-appointed nut-case, that sets off massive violence

in 20 countries around the world.

Sometimes I just want to call it quits.

Done.

Finished.

Under the covers,

where it’s safe,

and comfortable,

and PREDICTABLE!

‘Cause, I’ll be honest …. this is NOT …. I repeat, NOT …. what I signed up for!

What I want is a sandbox where the sand is soft and the weather ideal, 

where my friends are perfect and I am amazing,

where strangers have some sense, 

and birds sing in perfect harmony, 

so that I can plan and execute my life with perfect precision.

Instead, I get a sandbox where the sand is questionable, 

the rain is far too wet and the sun way too hot, 

where I am just mediocre and my friends … well, you decide for yourself …. 

where strangers can be downright nuts 

and birds that fly overhead sometimes poop …

… yes, right THEN! 

I guess I have two options:

EITHER I can get lost dreaming of that perfect imaginary sandcastle

with perfect angles,

amazing arches and

stunning details.

OR I can live.

I'll go with 'live.'

I'll pick up that shuffle,

and bucket,

and hose

and rake

day

after day

after brand new day.

Let the rain fall.

Let the sun shine.

Let my friends be.

Let strangers act.

Let the birds poop.

I have decided, what’s important is not that perfect, imaginary sandcastle,

but whether I sit down in the middle of that sandbox

and try again.

Yours truly,  Bena

Peep and the Parade by Bena

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.... ’Cause  trying  counts! 

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Action 20: Imagine!

So Glad You Are Here!

Imagine blue.

Imagine HOPE is different shades of blue.

Imagine HOPE comes together ....

IMAGINE a TOWN full of HOPE ….

IMAGINE your STATE full of  MORE HOPE ….

IMAGINE our COUNTRY full even GREATER HOPE ….

Most everything we treasure begins with ....

 ..... IMAGINE

..... and HOPE

..... and YOU.

Let's make it happen.

Obama 2012!

Yours truly,  Bena

Action 19: Peep UP

Welcome!

Over the last year I decided to ignore (more often)

that irritating voice in the back of my head that insists,

…. don’t look stupid

…. don’t be annoying

…. don’t do this, ‘cause it’s not nice

…. and they won’t like you!

I have become a pain in the butt, and learned it’s actually a lot of fun.

I call them my Peep UP! moments.

Here is an example:

Last week, I walked into our supermarket.  

With me, I had fifty cazillion empty cans to stuff individually into those crunch machines.  

crunch …crunch …crunch

Twenty-three cans were spat right back out at me. 

The crunch machine informed me that ‘the store does not accept these items.’  

FOR MY CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE,

there were FOUR HUGE TRASH CANS

 right next to the crunch machines, 

DESTINED FOR THE LANDFILL.

So, I did what I ALWAYS do.

I did what EVERYONE does.

I stuffed my 23 empty cans into the FOUR HUGE TRASH CANS along with the hundreds of other rejects.

  

I stared at this sticky mess for a moment.

Then I changed my mind.

I pulled my 23 cans back out of the trash.  (Yes!  Disgusting to the MAX.)

Then I went in search of the manager.

I smiled,

introduced myself, 

and said to the manager, “I have GREAT new idea ....

How about a RECYCLING BIN 
next to those FOUR HUGE trash cans?”

I continued to smile.

Obviously, I am brilliant!

He told me, "This would increase store overhead.”

I said, “That’s OK.”

He said, "The store would pass the cost down to me."

I said, “That’s OK.”

He said, “Until legislation is passed and made into law,

THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN!”

I was still smiling …..  really … although it was getting a little harder.

I said, “I guess I will need to walk ALL around your store with my cart full of dirty, sticky cans, while I shop for my groceries, in order to deposit my dirty, sticky cans in my recycling bin at home.”

I wished him a good day …. smiled some more …. and pushed my cart to grab a few groceries.

The end.

You may ask, what’s the point?

The point is,

When I am a pain in the butt, nothing changes.

When we are ALL a pain in the butt, EVERYTHING changes.

The possibilities are endless!

Yours truly,  Bena

Peep and the Parade by Bena

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  Peep UP!  …… smiling is optional. 

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