Most people make New Years resolutions. I decided to make an Election Day resolution to cope with stressful change by finding the opportunity buried in the crisis. I’ll know I’ve arrived when I remain calm inside and outside, in all situations.
Mastery of any skill requires practice. I’ve been getting a lot of practice. The good news is that mid-shriek, I remember my goal. The bad news, is that I have a long way to go to reach my peaceful “No Drama Obama” goal.
Challenges come in waves. I typically do not write about my family. Everyone deserves their privacy. Suffice to say, several members of my family are providing an opportunity for me to hone my “no drama Obama” skills.
Perhaps it’s no accident that at this time of year I have gotten up close and personal with the issue of elder care. It’s tough to watch my Dad grow older and physically weaker. His mind is sharp, but his body betrays him as post-polio and aging encroach on his motor control.
On the one hand, I am blessed with people who can step in to help care for him. On the other hand, I have not yet succeeded in convincing “Mr. Magoo” to take his vehicle off the road. In this country, driving – even more than a fat investment portfolio – separates the successful people from the failures – the men from the boys, if you will. With no real public transportation alternatives, what’s a handicapped elder to do?
As the oncoming vehicle crashed into the driver’s side – my side – of Dad’s vehicle, I realized just how far I have to go to achieve a “no drama Obama” state of calm and focus.
Part of me is hopeful as the earth-destructive Bush administration comes to an end. The people Obama has chosen to deal with climate change and environmental policy, Steven Chu, Carol Browner, and Lisa Jackson, all seem to have a grasp of the enormity of the challenges we face and the skills to deal with the issue.
That’s enough to help me replace my sense of impending doom with an attitude of hope. Obama is a little more than a month away from taking office. His amazing calm in the face of relentless distractions and obstacles is worth developing in my own less public, but often equally complicated life.