Dear America,

Of course a life of illusions is where we live now.

You know when it started?
 Big Yellow Taxi time -- Joni Mitchell and all of her Woodstock yahoo's; that's how long ago we must go back to recognize the birth of this current season of whirlwind economic downturn and political corruption. America's embryonic fluid was high -- on acid and grand Utopian illusions -- demonizing the capitalism that built the American landscape, just waiting for a generation of home grown socialist hippies to affect change.

It has just taken us awhile to get here -- meandering a bit longer than most as it takes time to align and organize when under the influence, but hey man, don't knock it till you try it, you dig.  Point is, they're here now...

And I may be over-simplifying and may even be entirely wrong -- while perhaps it may be something I've inhaled that's warping my view -- but I don't think so.

Let's take a look at a couple cases of recent news:

Our dear little balloon boy, Falcon, in cahoots with the family to spark fascination and attention, really was part of an illusion, and punked the entire world.  I wanted to believe this family; I wanted them to be for real, having captured us from a place of innocence and truth, amidst what we all thought could be story of survival of a young boy, if not, a tragic end to a day we all held close to our heart, watching.

Apparently, the reality is that this family has had their fair share of being in front of the camera, has called the services of 911 three times already this year for issues, and has such a shady past hiding from debt they crossed a couple of state lines to escape. Finding themselves desperate for starting over -- attempting to capitalize on the world of reality TV; the father, with just a high school education, tinkers with invention like a Caractacus Potts from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, unnerved by his children ditching school, leaving all conventionality and furthering education to the birds on the wings of imagination. 

An endearing movie in my memory, but even as a child watching it for the very first time, I knew the difference of fantasy and reality; while if we are going to make the conscious decision to have children of our own, don't you think it comes with responsibility and actions to raise them properly, and isn't this where we fail ourselves today -- a couple of generations into it now, we're not happy with how the grown ups did it before, so we're growing our own any way we seem fit

The sense that we've lost our way to actually earn a living and grow a country (or for that matter, even want to) through means that are conventional and normal --whatever that is anymore -- have seemed to have easily fallen prey to days of folly, fifteen minutes of fame, and overexposure.  Programs like Jon & Kate Plus Eight were probably at the top of the list -- if it weren't for the kind of destruction that it can lead to from greed, selfishness and infidelity in front of the eyes of millions -- and more importantly, behind the camera involving the lives of eight pairs of vulnerable eyes of the inculpable children.

The idea that we can make a quick buck is as prevalent as the abhorrence of the one's who do.

Which leads me to our second case, the Anita Dunn story again; and as she stood before this High School Graduating class exhuming her thoughts on life, fully disclosing "the two people she turns to most" for guidance and comfort are Chairman Mao and Mother Teresa, laughing slightly under her breath that the two could be connected to one another. 

Recently condemning Glenn Beck for his ability to unjustly expose her, she included Mao sightings out of the mouth of a prominent Republican strategist, Lee Atwater, and basically tries to snuff out her guilty ramblings as though she could do so under the guise of meager kindergarten antics by saying, "well, he did it first."  

Anita, ever hear of context?  Even Media Matters has duly noted that Newt Gingrich has quoted the Chairman, certainly not turning to Mao for solace and tissues like yourself, but for making a point as to who exactly we are dealing with and how in fact we can apply this knowledge when faced with making hard decisions; Newt is a true historian of not only American policy and doctrine, but of world order, wars and dictators.  You, Anita, are no Gingrich; and to put yourself in the company of him, or Lee, in an effort to "convey irony" tells me just how much of the silly stuff you may have smoked (please note: I have no idea about that, the insinuations are not based on fact, to my knowledge -- only using for colorful repartee.)

This world that Anita lives in -- in the context of her own words-- shuns making a buck and glorifies poverty and government control put together! And she is just one of an entire White House who Obama has chosen to surround himself with.

For the love of Pete, that is not what America is all about -- and yet, all these people who have now arrived, who we find sitting at the right hand of Obama, are a child of sixties -- flush with illusions of redistributing wealth, taking away our freedoms in the best interests of the whole, and doing so in front of the camera for all the world to see.  Reality.Recovery.GOV.TV.Obamanation.

Now, I love Mother Teresa, too.  I want world peace.  I want all the starving children of the world to have a wholesome, warm meal every day.  I want the world to pollute less and share more.  I want people to take care of each other, love one another, and be good.  I want all of that, too.  For it is only through charity and unconditional love towards others that we find a path and connection to Spirit, to God; and it is then, through these random acts of kindness, that we truly carry the potential to unite the world in grace and peace.

Mother Teresa's gift to affect change in the hearts of man comes in her own words like, "doing little things with great love."  "It is simple but not easy." "Love until it hurts" and "if if it hurts, then it'll be better because of it." "Without our suffering our work would just be social work."

All is well and good in a perfect world, but even my budding teenager knows that evil exists amongst us; and ignorance, placating, praying and all the wishing in the world will not make it go away.  What wants to live against us, will reign against us, if we don't wake up and rise up -- and pick and choose who we listen to wisely and carefully.

You know, "The Mirage" is set to continue...we are embarking on the greatest illusion of all -- which is Global Warming.  I was just getting warmed up myself at the tail end of last week -- having the intention of jumping right in with the Arctic Polar Bears bright and early come Monday morning.  I guess you could say I took in a little too much sea water, having been tossed around by a couple of free spirits, having been temporarily beached from trash floating in the tides of change, all I can do now is rest here in the sun.

The amount of pollutants streaming into the blogosphere, atmosphere and biosphere are all coming from just one source and this has me momentarily stuck; but not to worry my pretty.

I may be finding myself a tad overwhelmed, and perhaps, I may even go so far as to say feeling a bit discouraged; and it may very well be just a good day, for just a girl, to curl up on the couch with Mother Teresa or Mao.

It is the continuous onslaught, the tidal action of propaganda being churned out of Washington every day, constantly ridiculing whatever comes from the conservative view -- whether it be from real people or fellow Representatives being pummeled in the pipeline-- that is just so massive.  It truly will be an act of God to stay afloat, through the hearts and minds of all of us coming together.

I can see why last Thursday, when the world was watching Falcon, Beck brought me to tears telling an imaginary tale of America, through the eyes of a parent.  He told a story equating the times we are living in to finding one of our own, invited by a couple of yahoos to a party he never should have been at -- knowing there was going to be drinking and drugs  --and fearing what his parents would say now that he is long passed his curfew --  when, if only the child knew what is deep in the heart of a parent -- just tell me you are safe and I'll come get you.  You may be grounded for life, but let me just come get you... When deep down you know, your dad was right -- that it comes down to making good choices in the first place. The party is over now --and the better off we are to know and be the wiser for it so that we can set things right... now is the time to grow up so that our kids -- can tell their kids, that THIS was the time our course was changed, and made things right again. 

He started with the idea, that if given a chance, wouldn't we choose simpler times-- "wouldn't we go back there in a heartbeat?" he asks -- even tying in an old Paul Anka song, The Times of your Life.

Beck cried on national television and that was for real -- I saw it with my own two eyes.

Make it a Good Day, G