Old friends

Spent some time today talking to my oldest and dearest non blood and non marital friend. We've kept in touch since the 1970's by phone, email and when we can both manage it in person. It's scary to think about, but we've been friends for 30 plus years now.

It helped. I feel less isolated and less alone after talking with him today. Thankfully, he's never worked at the old place so I'm still allowed to speak with him. He's more or less appalled also that in the United States of America this can happen to a law abiding, tax paying ordinary American citizen. But, I think he's less surprised than I was. I was so naive that I actually believed we ordinary folks had some rights. Clearly those rights can be removed anytime some one decides it's convenient for them to do so.

I've got scads of family and friends scattered all over the country. I've chose to include friends in my life who are not in my business. The unfortunate part of that is they have absolutely no way to relate to this world I live in. However, they read books, see movies, raise children, cook, go to plays, decorate their houses, write books, take beautiful photographs, create wonderful art-------they keep my life balanced. Wonderful people, encourage me to keep the bad guys off the street. Sometimes, the bad guys are not the inmates, patients or residents. Sometimes the bad guys are the guys who run the system. Now, that is not to say that the inmates, residents, patients have not done really bad things and won't do lots more really bad things if they get a chance. They will. I promise.

But, the guys who run the systems are a different type of bad. For them, it is all about power. And, not power in a good way. It's about self-serving, self-aggrandizing power and control. The good thing about all this misery is I see much more clearly than I have in the past.

Years ago, I remember an old actor in the movie Three Days of the Condor who said "I miss the clarity" as he recalled the old days. Well, for me the old days didn't provide clairity, but things are getting a whole lot clearer in the new days. Ugly--but clearer. And, clarity (even when ugly) is a good thing.