Respect

Every once in a while somebody says something nice. Every so often someone does something heroic. Every once in a blue moon nobility, integrity, humanity and moral awareness shine brighter than any full moon ever will. 

Yesterday’s back story pushes a sad trend forward. It kicks the proverbial can down the street, over the hump, down the hill and clean out of sight. Goes like this:

Struggling with the frustrating after effects of a week in A-Fib we finish another 2x20 set in the PowerBarn. Intentionally, I severely under-set my wattage as compensation with the immediate reaction being negative, self-doubting, fearful and judgmental thoughts that creep into my focus with a heads-up display of abject failure. I am weak. I am hurt. I am fat, out of shape and pathetic, a worthless cross sampling of global waste. My only salvation is in the fact that after this 45 minute exercise in self flagellation I can enjoy a beer. These two things - riding my bike and drinking beer - are the only things that ease, however temporarily, the nasty effects of my ‘condition’. And therein lies the rub, as cycling intensity AND duration now seem to be the triggers on the AR-15 fully automatic atrial fibrillation weapon with hallow-point, armor-piercing rounds of IPA as ammo. Suddenly if I ride too hard or too long - I consume too much. Riding less and drinking more, as you might surmise is a proven recipe for: EVERYTHING BAD I can imagine - and then some. More at Everythingbad.Hell.

I am riding home on my old, breaking down 1998 Honda Shadow VT600 after our session. I am very much looking forward to a few high-end pilsners, some dinner and a TV recap of the disgusting news relentlessly spewing from the White House. As Friday is a ‘late day’ - no early classes - I might even watch some Husky football highlights. I get a text from wonderful neighbor asking to please come to dinner on the deck, as we are enjoying three consecutive nice days. 

I go and introduce myself to visitors from San Diego. Wonderful neighbor brings a cold beer as my halibut burger is sizzling on the Weber Genius II. We talk and I ram another Lagunitas. Eventually we move conversationally towards the topic no one can escape, politics. 

I am now buzzed and having already taken a silent vow NOT to go ‘there’ I tell the story of Sunday’s break of day Star Spangled Banner blaring by the Navy Undersea Warfare Facility across the Port Orchard Inlet from us. It was as loud as any football stadium in America. Being both startled and mildly irritated (they interrupted a peaceful civilian morning with musical propaganda) in response, in the privacy of my own driveway, I took the proverbial knee. 

I tell the story and immediately see that everyone is nodding in agreement and or acceptance of the social implication, except the visitors from SD. Alarms go off in my head. I hear myself tell myself to STFU. Visitor announces that he is an Army Vet and finds the whole NFL kneeling thing disgraceful and disrespectful. I say, with volume above others attempting to voice same, that it is not about disrespect, it is about police brutality and overt racism and violence against people of color. The games, the song, and the faux patriotism of the American right is merely a spin on the initial goal designed to misdirect away from the real issue. Police are killing American citizens for the apparently felonious crime of being non-white. 

Well its still disrespectful. 

Stop the cops, right-wing media and this racist regime from blatant discrimination and then we can talk about respect.