Public Hearing

Jun9
I think these are Cumulus fractus clouds but I could be wrong. Whatever they’re called, I’m grateful for the gorgeous spectacle of them this afternoon.

I’m grateful today for the January 6 Committee broadcasting their public hearing. I’m sad, though, that I’m not confident it will sway anyone who is still on the fence about the Insurrection. I was moved by the opening speech from committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson, but I imagine that any bigots who had tuned in would have turned off in the first five minutes. This is because I was raised by a bigot; I come from an extended family of them, and unfortunately I can hear their voices clearly in my head to this day. The last person they’d listen to is an old black man from Mississippi talking about slavery blah blah blah Lincoln blah blah blah… I won’t repeat what their voices in my head are actually saying, and thankfully, I’m able to tune them out. But I’m afraid that anyone inclined to believe The Big Lie who dared to turn on the hearing would have turned it off before it got to the heart of the matter.

Which began to be revealed in a riveting way once Rep. Liz Cheney came on, and except for frequent internet freezes and apparent video malfunctions zooming onto background flags and moulding for extended times, it compelled me to stay tuned instead of heading outside into the cooling evening to pull weeds. I had not intended to watch. I know what happened on that day. I watched it unfold live on TV a year and a half ago and I haven’t forgotten what I saw, as so many Americans seem to have done. Tonight, recorded and live testimony and video clips of the insurrection brought the shock and horror back all too vividly. I’m grateful that most people I know are able to discern truth from lies, and pray that most other Americans can also and will vote accordingly in November.

I’m grateful for a wonderful Boyz Lunch, reminiscing about 25 years of friendship with these two dear men and the community of which we are an integral part. I’m grateful for all the elements I’ve acquired over the past weeks to make homemade Massaman curry paste and a lovely vegetarian version of it, and for all those beings known and unknown who contributed to these ingredients being present in my kitchen. I’d share the recipes but something was missing from the paste, and there are plenty of recipes for the dish online and I commingled two of them.
For dessert I made last night a no-bake cheesecake which was delicious and disgusting. We ate more than half of it as we sat under the patio umbrella in early summer heat, a hint of the sweet scent of Buddleia alternifolia and the enthusiastic voices of cowgirls in training next door both wafting by on the breeze. I’m grateful for holding things in balance and perspective.

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