What does it take to get a retired from politics slug such as myself back ito it? Am I mad? Am I angry?

No, I save those for those close to me :-D

I'm sad. I'm sad that I can't leave the TV on for the weather before I walk the kids to school without having to try and explain to them why the grown-ups seeking election are behaving in a way that they would be sitting in the Pricipal's office for or have me standing in the door of their room asking them why they are acting like unfunny clowns. I'm sorry that the air of negativity has reduced me to wishing the elctions were over so I could look forward to the Christmas season advertising onslaught.

I know enough of history to know there never was a time when politics weren't divisive. But this is nuts. We are all in this together. We have thing that need to be done. There are folks out there that are dead set on killing us, killing themselves and anything in the way. They need to be stopped. And stopped without making everyone around them want to join in their particular madness. However, other than voting, there is little I can do about this. I CAN blog, chat, discuss, argue a bit and generally take the part of active citizen in the polis.

We need to keep things running here. Stuff falls apart. Stuff needs to be fixed. Roads, healthcare, the places where we fish, hunt and muck about for fun. The schools where my kids go aren't broken, but I defy the enitre staff to say there's somethings they couldn't be doing better. (Particularly if you trimmed down the stadardized tests!)

I live in a small town that a part of a bigger metropolis. I walk my kids to school, ride a bike to the store for milk and veggies and run the borders of the town as part of marathon training. I like it here, even now calling it my hometown. I work with scouts, am a crossing guard and help coach sports. I simply want to make things a little better for me and the folks who live around me.

So it's back into the fray. Time to really get active in the polis. It seems that no one really gives answers to the questions that I'm thinking. So now we have to get these questions asked. No one wants to pay more taxes, but few of us are willing to give up the real benefits of things only the government can provide. So, we either have to change what we want, or start being adult about getting it. The stuff we want is expensive, and it may, especially if fuel REALLY gets expensive in a few years, may go totally nuts. Spend carefully, and with one eye staring straight at the future. Keep in mind while something might seem a waste of time today, your grandkids are going to have to deal with it too.