currently

  I usually compose these posting in the early morning hours. Sometimes I wake up with something on my mind and at others struggle to find a topic. It occurred to me this morning that whatever I do write is current. I know, it seems obvious enough doesn't it? I'm writing about what is currently on my mind or in the news. That's great for today and maybe even next week, but a great deal of the deal of the time the subject matter may not be as obvious after that. I did notice that as I reread something I was discussing and had to think really hard, what am I talking about? I had failed to include an explanation of that. Now I know the five w's of writing a story, was taught that may years ago in English class. Yes, I'm that old, I still call it English class where we learned grammar and composition. I'm not certain what they call it these days. I've heard English is being taught as a second language in public schools here in America, a bit of a misnomer in my opinion, but a topic for another day.

 As I thought more about that I began to understand why I'm hearing certain things from those on the left regarding what the constitution says and what they feel it means. A great deal of the "current" context is missing from those documents. There is little explanation for whatever phrases, terms and meanings are intended. Take something as straightforward as the right to bear arms. Just what did they mean by that? For me it means exactly what they said, the government can not disarm me. But you will hear how they didn't mean AR-15's or Bazookas. Is that the context missing? If that had been included the second amendment would surely be quite a bit longer but it was written more as a "bullet" statement, pun intended. 

 I'm guilty of not always explaining exactly what it is I'm talking about and exactly what I mean. I do not include my life experiences, schooling, or influences that caused me to arrive at whatever conclusion I am presenting. Influencers are certainly gaining in notoriety these days, being called out for exactly what they are attempting to do. Mostly they are attempting to get you to buy a product, influence your spending habits. I'm not trying to influence anyone with any of this, I'm just stating my opinions. It would be great if I influence others to send me money just because, but I can't see that happening. All social media is a minefield! I'm not certain I would want to enter into all of that. It isn't a fear of rejection, I've been rejected plenty of times and that's nothing to be afraid of, I just don't need the drama. Drama is for the young, not for a mature senior. ( Insert an emoji after that statement) Will someone twenty years from now now what an emoji is? Maybe that needs to be explained, it being a current thing.

  Getting back to the current. My hope is that my descendants will one day read these blog postings and get a view of what life was like back in the old days. Yes, the old days of grandpa and great grandpa. I have often thought I wish I knew the thoughts of my ancestors regarding current events, their current events. That is what I'm thinking about. When I was young I would hear the men talk about the war. They were talking about WW2. It was current to them, twenty years after it ended it was still current to them. 

 What is current today will be history tomorrow. I think we forget that especially when writing something down as we anticipate our readers will know exactly what we are talking about. If I mention Epstein today most will know. If I mention Epstein ten years from now how many will know? And perhaps most importantly of all I should include what a term, a word or phrase currently means. I'm old enough to remember when being gay meant you were happy, that's not the case today. If I say someone is woke, that is understood, or they are on the left or the right. How many current terms can you think of that meant something different years back? I'm thinking I may need to explain how things currently are. But mostly how something that seems right to you can feel wrong to me. The current social issues. 

  Isn't that really what the study of history is all about? It is difficult to remain objective when it comes to history. I try to gain some context, some insight into why things happened the way they did. It's my opinion it is generally about wealth and power. Half the time it is an attempt to appease the masses, and the other half an effort to control the masses. It's like parenting. Sometimes you're their friend and sometimes just the boss! Why? Because I said so that's why. If your friends jump off a bridge are you going to do that too? I don't care what everyone else is doing, you aren't doing that. 

  There are parents today allowing their children to decide what gender they wish to "identify" themselves as. Why is that? Well, because it is the current thing. A current social issue. Wasn't very long ago that would have alerted social workers to a problem. Those parents would have been subjected to scrutiny for certain. How will history view this? What is tolerated today becomes the normal tomorrow. That's a general statement and holds a degree of truth. 

  The evidence is all around us. Someone has a tattoo on their face they barely get a glance. In years past we paid money to see that. I remember when I was in English class we were required to read the newspaper and write about current events. I wrote about draft dodgers. We haven't had a draft in this country since 1972! I wrote about landing a man on the moon. Current events. Currently I seem to write a great deal about the role of government, a subject I wouldn't have dreamed I'd ever care about.

  All the names and personalities that roll off my tongue today will likely be forgotten about in twenty years or so. They may be referenced much like we do Jefferson or Monroe. Just some old people that did or said something. Remember when Ilhan Omar said, some people did something? She was talking about 9/11. You know what 9/11 is but will your grandchildren and beyond? It's current to me and that is what I'm thinking about, I should be explaining the current situation instead of complaining about it. The only problem being I'm currently at a loss to explain a great deal of what's happening! We are now debating the number of genders. Just think on that for a while. Explain that.