A meditation

Like many a politics aficionado, I would love nothing more than to wax poetic over the passing this week of Sen. Kennedy.  Unfortunately, I did not know the man personally and he was not my Senator.  Writers more learned and deeper entrenched in history and government have written many a post in the past few days.  I promised when I started the new job five months ago that I wouldn't attempt a point of view post unless I had something new to contribute and that is most certainly the case here.

So, here is what I know.

Politics as we've known them has hung on by its fingertips.  Just like the feeling of soon-to-be lost baby teeth in our mouths, we can twist it, wiggle it and play-act like we want to pull the tooth out, but they are usually lost when we stop working at it so hard.

With the hollow sentiments of various Republicans in the past few days, any kindling of the once mighty fire of bi-partisanship has gone neglected and the fire pit stone cold.  Now, more than ever, any hope of health care insurance reform will have to come from Democrats devising a bill they all can support, kept fully insulated from the Republicans.

The glass half-full part of me hopes that this is a one-time occurrence in the Legislature.  History is on my side with that bet.

On a more personal note, I have finally been hired as a permanent employee where I work.  I have much better health care benefits that start in a few days and cost a few bucks less a month than it did with the temp agency.  For my new employer to afford to cover me so cheaply, the monthly premiums soar into the hundreds of dollars a month very quickly.

We've got a few months more of fighting, yelling and intermittent sound logic -- as well as whatever comes from the liberal side of the aisle -- when it comes to health care insurance reform.  Not even someone like me should sit on the sides hoping it all works out.  Where and when I can jump in to the debate, I will.

Meanwhile, I have two songs rolling around my iPod that put me into a "rest and take it easy" frame of mind for the weekend (with the fires burning twisting my asthmatic lungs into a pretzel, even typing is getting me winded.  As I slow it down for a few days, I hope these two songs put you in a more mellow, reflective mood.  And, if anyone is searching, I'd love either of these songs played at my memorial.  Not that I'm planning on checking out anytime soon -- I just know me well enough that if I don't write this down, the idea will leave my head soon enough.  And, these are really lovely songs that capture my feelings on leaving, if only for a little while.