for your own good

  Today I thought I'd share a bit of basic civics. It appears to me that all of that is getting a bit convoluted these days. I figure it is social media and google that are the main culprits. But I remember a good bit of that from what we called social studies back in my day. I had an excellent teacher that kept it interesting by asking you questions, not telling you the answers. What I mean is I didn't know what his political opinions were and there was no other agenda other than having you pass the test at the end of the semester. Strange at it may seem not everyone had to provide the same answer for it to be correct. I know, it's difficult to imagine that these days, but it existed.

  I was taught about the three branches of government and what their relationship to one another was supposed to be. The executive branch was like your father, he made suggestions but they weren't final until it was ratified by congress (mom). Now you had the others that gave their opinion, the others could be almost anyone chosen by the congress, (mom) dad could nominate but not appoint without that congressional (senate) approval. Yeah, mom was both house and senate. You can never be certain what a woman is thinking, might be a conflicting opinion there. It depends. But that was how it was supposed to work. Now the executive (dad) could issue an order, it was best to obey that order, although you could appeal. It would usually take the opinion of more than one, a majority, to overrule that executive order. There were other times that it just failed and that was that.

  As a child in that scenario I had representatives. I called them my Aunts, Uncles and grandparents. They were the ones filing an appeal on my behalf. Occasionally one of them would stage a filibuster but that was seldom effective, it usually just resulted in the executive getting madder. At other times he would relent or defer to the congress, whatever your mother says. In that way he could pass the responsibility to another. I did stage a protest or two but they were ineffective. I got detained for a week for one of those stunts. No television and no leaving the property. My representatives failed to secure an an early release. Two out of three branches of government had agreed, and that was it.

  What I learned was that it was my representatives that secured my future. I held little sway personally, I required backup. The trick was to discover what each of your representatives would and would not support and choose them accordingly. It all depended upon what I wanted. I also discovered that some carried far more influence than others, although I wasn't always aware of why, just that it was. I found it was my mothers sisters, my aunts, that seem to hold some advantage. I'm guessing they knew "things."      Yeah, I knew a few things about my siblings too, that they would rather the executive/congress not know about. I realized early on, I didn't make the rules, I was expected to follow the rules. That was my function in this family unit, this small nation, the governance of which I only held one vote in. I did need additional votes, support, in order to effect any changes in the policy. A number of times when I was successful it was met with a challenge, it's not fair. The reason it wasn't fair being, I was given what was perceived to be an entitlement or benefit. The one filing the complaint feeling slighted in some fashion. He is getting special treatment. 

  Power is an ever shifting landscape. Today I play the role of representative for my grandchildren. I have been their advocate against any tyrannical government actions. I still hold some influence on all of that although my influence isn't nearly as strong. I've entered the advisor phase, no longer holding a cabinet position but consulted every now and again. The grandchildren are busy establishing their own governments. With the arrival of my great granddaughter my grandson becomes the chief executive. He will soon find it is lonely at the top. But he will also discover if you listen closely and consult with your congress often, the job is much easier. Opinions are nothing more than that, opinions. In the end it isn't the opinion that matters, it is the actual action taken. Yes, sometimes it is an unpopular opinion. That was when I usually heard, this is hurting me more than it is you, but it is for your own good. That's the burden of leadership.