It has been a few years since I last blogged. So, what convinced me to start Straight Out of Left Field again? A couple of things. First, the biggest election of our lifetimes is just a few weeks away. Second, and most importantly, I noticed a lot of people came across this blog and actually liked it. It made me realize that I have something of value to share. I am making one change to this blog. While it will still strongly focus on politics, I will also write about me and the experiences I face on a daily basis.
Like millions of Americans, I have clinical depression. Setbacks that would normally just annoy others send me into a spiral. As you might expect, 2020 has kicked me in the gut, repeatedly. COVID has certainly dominated my life, just as it has yours, but that’s not all. I have not had a full-time job in over a year. Talk about a feeling of worthlessness. Also, I spent four early July days in the hospital with Steroid Psychosis. I was prescribed steroids for a minor procedure and my body and mind didn’t like it one bit. In fact, my mind decided to take a few days off. I couldn’t remember the names of my two sons and didn’t know what month it was. For someone who spends way too much time thinking, not being able to was incredibly frightening. The one question I was able to answer…who is the President? I not only knew the answer, but I was really pissed off at the question. My mood was already horrible and that question made it worse.
I want this blog to become a meeting place for those who have concerns or fears they need to express. My goal is to create a community for anyone who needs to feel a sense of belonging. With that, I turn to politics.
Too much has happened for me to recap. You all know what a mess Trump has made of everything. He’s not just the worst President we’ve ever had. He’s the worst person ever to hold elected office in our country. Donald J. Trump is simply every villain in every movie about someone trying to take over the world.
Joe Biden will be the 46th President of the United States unless Putin decides to fly to the States and visit various battlegrounds, such as Pennsylvania and Florida. If this election is fair, and all the ballots are counted, Biden will win in a landslide. I do not believe Joe Biden is the next coming of Abraham Lincoln or even Barack Obama. What I do believe is Biden will be an effective and transitional President, who will guide us back to a sense of normalcy. After what we’ve all experienced, that sounds wonderful!
As I write this, we are four weeks away from the Election and the nation is still swimming in COVID. 30 minutes ago, I received a text from my wife, an amazing Kindergarten teacher, telling me that someone at her school tested positive for the virus. I’m scared. My wife is not only a gifted teacher, she keeps our family afloat. No, it’s true. I contribute very little outside of the occasional dad joke. My wife is the Michael Jordan of this family. My sons are Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. I’m Luc Longley. Oh, and my dog is Dennis Rodman, especially if Rodman was addicted to dog treats and still had accidents on the carpet every so often. My wife’s health is paramount and knowing someone at her school has COVID brings the virus a little closer to home.
I live in Flower Mound, Texas. Dallas is blue but FloMo is apple red. A local dog groomer has a sign on their door that reads “No mask required. We’re not drinking the Kool-Aid”. In a place like this, they’ve probably gained business. In future blogs, I’ll go more into detail about how I feel about mask-deniers and cultist Trump supporters. For now, I’ll end by saying…Screw ’em!