Eyes off the Ball: Environment Trumps Economy

I too am scared. My IRA and kids' college savings are taking a beating. The price of gas and groceries are taking a toll on our monthly budget even when my income is higher than it was last year. Plus, I've been writing checks to schools and extracurricular programs for three weeks straight since school started.

But when I read this headline and article today, I about cried. Polar bears are resorting to cannibalism amid the lack of arctic sea ice they need to survive http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/09/23/arctic.ice/index.html. I believe that once you become a parent, you're blessed with a greater sense of perspective. That is, the ability to shrug off some of the needless drama at work, ride with a tantrum now and then and even find light in dismal situations. My perspective today? Environment trumps it all...And I'm so sad that this economic crisis has hit a height in media and voter attention right in the final months of a major election where the climate change should be at the top of the issues list - or at least friggin included.

(BTW, you'll hear - when he did address energy - Obama talk not only about energy independence, but also mandates and aggressive goals for renewable energy, not JUST oil and gas from our own soil a la McCain/BleepBleep.)

Big Picture: When it is no longer safe for us, our kids, or future generations to freely go to the beach, breathe air within miles of a city or reside in a coastal area consistently threatened by natural disasters, then NOT much else matters. Small but noteworthy indicator that it's already happening: childhood asthma is up something like 30% in the past 10 years. I'm in the burbs in a relatively "healthy" area in New England and refill inhaler scripts for two of my kids several times a year. It's real for me, I tell you. (Still a dangerous sun worshiper though. Shhhh.)

Think about it. My wallet, yours and the next guys are perfectly irrelevant if the atmosphere is so hot and polluted that we can't live the lives we'd like to - richer or poorer. We can, and will, eventually recover or adapt to some degree economically. The damage to our planet, however, if it's not legislatively protected ASAP can never rebound. Never.

It's a good thing I live an hour from the Providence zoo, which has Polar Bears! I'd better take my kids back for another look at this strong, playful and beautiful endangered species.

 

Meeting Obama During the Home Stretch

Whether you vote democrat or republican, you must admit that being able to meet a presidential contender in the final stages of the race for the White House is cool. Even cooler for me personally, was meeting a candidate I wasn't sure about, and leaving the experience with all the confidence in the world that he would be a strong and amazing leader for our country.

Molly, my 8-year old, is in pigtails in the back - sitting on my shoulders. Her older sister is standing in front of her, grinning ear to ear.

I had the wonderful opportunity a few days ago - because my sister works for his campaign - to meet Senator Obama in a small setting with 80 other folks in NH. Better yet, the venue afforded frank and candid interaction with this group of adults and children. Immediately, I was at ease and realized why he is where he is - and was go grateful that we've got him working for us all.

Because the meeting was not televised, he was able to answer a handful of questions with total candor - and full explanation about his plans for addressing the issues. He'd thought the issues through and had timelines, budget figures and other details to share for Iraq withdrawal, global warming and education; my personal three biggies. Several of the details he offered hadn't yet surfaced in televised speeches, at least that I'm aware of, I suspect largely because Americans have demonstrated (as with criticism that Kerry was speaking down to the country when he shared specifics) that Americans' widespread A.D.D. makes detailed explanations a liability.

Throughout the hour, Obama was "grounded" and paternal. He stopped mid sentence to give a sneezing preschooler a tissue, and commented about how patient my 3-year old was being on my lap (we'd been waiting for a few hours before he arrived, and he was quite apologetic). When a choked up mother of two soldiers asked about limiting tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, he paused so that she could compose herself and then offered "the good news" and several plans.

Senator Obama is, in fact, highly intelligent and energetic - characteristics the U.S. desperately needs to regain respect internationally and effectively address the complicated economic and social issues we face today and tomorrow. He's also approachable, gracious, humble, and pretty humorous. What a once-in-a -lifetime experience for me and my children . . .