My Q problem.

                                                                                

 Dear you,

I'd like to believe the exquisite angel pictured above exists.  I quasi-believe she does, just without the wings.  Why do I indulge in such fantasies?  Why do I believe what I believe? Why do we believe what we believe?

Zoom out and consider a group of "true believers". The latest Trump rally reminded us that the QAnon gang is still around, unconvinced their god lost the 2020 election and more convinced than ever that the Dems, the liberals, the educated, the whatever that is not them, are their Deep State enemies who must be destroyed.  This really ugly belief system is not going anywhere.  Like that strange stain on an old 1970's shower insert, it can't be scrubbed totally away.  During that rally, the Q brigade honored Donald with their one finger up salute. Photos show the Orange One wearing a Q lapel pin. His support is now literal. Accessories don't lie.  

Why be concerned? Because we know who these people are. Recall the height of the pandemic a year or so back.  Remember the Q pediatrician from Houston, Stella Immanuel, who claimed hydroxychloroquine would cure Covid?  This, according to Vox.com, is the same whacky physician who "declared, among other things, that ovarian cysts are caused by sex with demons, that scientists are experimenting with alien DNA, and that reptilian humanoids are running the government." 

What made a supposedly educated woman, and so many others, believe this nonsense?  Why don't I or you or you or you buy this line of bullshit? How do we differ, empirically?  Researchers claim some are more susceptible to conspiracy theories because their brains are prone to "illusory pattern perception". They make connections where none exist and the cause could be their higher than average levels of dopamine.  Oh, like people suffering from schizophrenia.

I guess I should examine my own beliefs, especially the ones that seem so airy.  Recently, I have been playing with positivity theories, yes, even things like the Law of Attraction, creating energy powerful enough to design/redesign what appears to be reality.  The texts discussing this approach to positive power are benign, in as much as they don't advocate violence or the elimination of the "other"; they simply emphasize a rise-above-create-your-own-story way of being. However, I must admit it feels like magical thinking. Case in point, as I search realtor.com or Zillow for homes for sale in Tallahassee, my ability to think what I want into existence proves to be pretty limited. There are no real estate angels. But why not give it a try, strengthen my unwavering-faith-muscles?  The art of the possible is more fun than the art of the probable. Fun, hope, the sunny side of the street make sense to me. But, according to an eye-opening piece in psychologytoday.com (by Dr. Neil Farber in 2016), some of my sunny beliefs are absolute bullshit. And kinda dangerous. His key points:

The Law of Attraction (LOA) is metaphysical pseudoscience based on erroneous assumptions.

This LOA assumes one is alone and completely responsible for any unachieved goal.

LOA philosophy leads to "apophenia" - the "misguided belief that there is meaning behind random data."

Yikes. I am just a fluffy version of a QAnon believer.  Maybe I am buying into something equally insidious.  That Farber article also cited Rhonda Byrne in The Secret: "If you see people who are overweight, do not observe them . . . if you think or talk about diseases you will become sick.  What you think or surround yourself with, good or bad, is what you will bring upon yourself."  Which leads to this even more repulsive advice from Wallace Wattles, an LOA founder: "Do not talk about poverty; do not investigate it, or concern yourself with it.  Do not spend your time in charitable work, or charity movements, all charity only tends to perpetuate the wretchedness it aims to eradicate".  "Give your attention wholly to riches; ignore poverty."

Oh. My. God.  That is deplorable.  I have semi-bought into a deplorable line of thinking.  Just go ahead and hand me my Q lapel pin. (Hand one to John Gibbs of Michigan too, a Trump backed candidate for Congress.  He argued back in college against women's suffrage claiming the USA has suffered as a result of femmes voting. These people just keep coming out of the woodwork like roaches.)

Man oh man.  America needs a serious belief-system checkup. Our minds are buying into and manufacturing beliefs that are seriously questionable. Just remember what David Foster Wallace said, someone sadly familiar with mental demons:

"The mind is an excellent servant, but a terrible master."

Amen.

There are no angels hovering around me.  There are no laws of attraction manifesting my perfect home, much less world peace.  There are no sexy demons looking for love at the local bar.  And there are no lizards running the government.  (Other than Ted Cruz and Mitch McConnell who both have a suspiciously reptilian look.)

End.

Joyce

Grace Under Pressure

 Dear You,

Goodbye, Queen Elizabeth II.  A model of stability and leadership, a model of grace under pressure.  Today, a random music encounter made me think of her. As I strolled with earbuds in, an oldie station played "Under Pressure" performed by David Bowie and Freddie Mercury. I listened to it through the filter of breaking news, the loss of this queen, the events of the past few days.  On the lighter side, over the weekend we witnessed some joyous versions of grace under pressure:

We watched Tiafoe v. Alcaraz and then Ruud v. Alcaraz in the U.S. Open.  

We watched The University of Texas almost (almost) take down that Roll Tide school.

We watched the Pittsburgh Steelers pull out a victory in O.T. over the Cincinnati Bengals.

We watched Tom Brady come out of his faux retirement and win again. At 45.

The powerful play goes on.

We also witnessed something more notable:

We watched as Ukraine began to make extraordinary gains against Putin.  As I type, reports speak of Russians dropping their weapons and running. The Ukrainians are taking back their country, currently liberating parts of the Kharkiv region. 

The fight for freedom goes on.

Facing pressure, we bend or break.  Sometimes we need inspiration. I saw a woman on the beach this weekend who bore witness to an inspired dance with pressure. Her body told a story. Below her right shoulder blade, was a tattoo from the bible, II Corinthians 12:9.  I took a mental picture of the woman and the body art. She sat, head bowed, on a low beach chair, feet in the surf. She might have been praying or just meditating. She did not seem distressed, but she gave off a vibe of gravitas. When I returned to the condo, I looked up the verse her artful ink recommended:

"But he said to me 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." Glorification of weakness by Paul, Saul of Tarsus, a notable recruit for the post-crucifixion revolution, the creation of a new faith. I am no fan of Paul and this particular verse suggesting his lord revels in our pain annoys me. But my Paul problem aside, this person, this woman on the beach, thinks otherwise. This verse inspires her to handle pressure.  I appreciate that.

But back to the Bowie/Mercury song, with the Queen, Ukraine, stellar athletes, and the woman on the beach in mind, today I seemed to hear these lyrics for the first time:

". . . love dares you to care for/The people on the edge of the night/And love dares you to change our way of/Caring about ourselves/This is our last dance/This is our last dance/This is ourselves/Under pressure . . . 

We are all on the edge of night, under pressure.

It helps to have inspiration during this (hopefully not) last dance.  So, thank you Queen Elizabeth II, freedom fighters, powerful players and tattooed messengers everywhere. You all know the cliche is true: Pressure makes diamonds.

XO

Joyce