Go Ahead, Rock The Boat

I. Sat. Silent.  I've been doing it for a long, long time.  Over a year I have spent lamenting my failures.  Keeping the shaker of salt, always within arms reach, to pick up and add a few grains to a wound that was nearly healed.  Last night, I did it again.  

Far from the days of my rebel, mouthy youth, I felt the spark of that part of my past slightly flicker.  It was similar to rolling a thumb over an old worn out butane lighter, the wheel turned but the spark was nil. 

I attended the local high school homecoming, always considered a gala event, even to a rural, small town school.  The main reason for my presence, a grandson was in the mix.  Things are a lot different today.  Back in the day of the rebel, homecoming was always preceded by, hopefully, a rousing game of basketball.  The time between the junior varsity game and the varsity was filled with dance routines, mini cheerleaders and numerous other forms of student entertainment.  After the games were over, the crowd would sit in anticipation of the upcoming coronation.  If anything is the same, it would be the lack of comfort of sitting on hard bleacher seats.  Finally, the homecoming court of couples, from each of the four seasons of high school, would gather in the front foyer of the gymnasium.  Glimpses of beautiful long gowns and black tuxedos could be seen as these young people got into the correct formation.  Then the procession would start.  Each couple would enter, be introduced, walk to the stage.  The crowning of a new king and queen would commence, the procession would then leave the stage and walk around the the entire gym, much to the delight of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.  Getting home before The Tonight Show started was always a huge accomplishment.

Yesterday was different.  The coronation was held at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, followed by both games and the whole thing was over before the sun set.  In all fairness, the students still dressed up, some for the second time and had their evening of fun and dance.

While sitting on the bleachers, watching the court royalty milling around in the foyer in all their finery, is when I felt it.  That rolling, gritty wheel on the old lighter.  But, even though it was trying again to ignite, if not a fire, just a tiny spark, I sat silent.

I watched these young people full of excitement for what was to come.  The girls had spent an endless amount of time on their hair, their makeup.  The boys had undoubtedly spent a good deal of time in front of the mirror, turning from side to side, enjoying the reflection of looking mighty fine.  Then they donned their masks.

What I wanted to do and had plenty of time to do it, was to get off that uncomfortable bleacher and walk to the foyer.  I wanted to tell them, "If you feel you must wear the mask, wear it on your wrist."  I wanted to explain to them the power that one small act of non-compliance would have.  But, I sat silent.  

First and foremost, this is not a call for disrespect of young people to their parents, or to adults in positions of authority.  Parents are tasked with the job of raising kind, decent, caring, small humans in the hopes that they will grow into the same kind of adult.  Children are to honor that job.  But, young people, one day you will come to the realization that, even though most were trying to do the best they could, your parents did not know everything.  You will also come to realize that those people in places of authority, were not always right.

We are living in the most amazing times in human history.  Many people who have been elected or placed into positions of leadership have forgotten who put them there.  Most do not care.  One does not have to be a wizard of information technology to find glaring examples of "rules for thee, not for me" and right now, I'm only referring to face masks.  The 'powers that be' have been maskless when it suits them.  They have gone to parties, restaurants and many other outings, completely "FACE FREE", while telling their constituents to do just the opposite.  Or worse, telling their peasants not to go anywhere, period.  They've been photographed sitting maskless in a room full of masked children.  But, perhaps the best example of their audacity and irony, is giving a FACE FREE interview, to be viewed by people whom they 'seem to deem' lesser than themselves, about why YOU need to wear a mask.  

The unfortunate part of this is, the more people comply with this kind of tyranny, the more the tyrants realize they have the upper hand.  It's time for a call to action.

Yes, there does seem to be a light shining at the end of the tunnel, in this area, for the young people and many fine people have spent countless hours fighting for that glimmer.  But, do not think that the wheels, gears and cogs that have been turning for years in the mastery of control will go silent into the night.  You can be sure, they will not magically accept defeat.  They will fight like hell to keep the power they so dearly love.

So, here is an idea, a spark.  Wear the mask.  Wear it on your wrist.  Better yet, wear it on your upper arm.  Not to bring up grim reminders of the past, but to exemplify what the leaders have become. 

Go ahead, rock the boat.  You will cause waves that will travel farther than you can imagine and ripples that will give others courage and hope.  Be FACE FREE.