Tone deaf.. that’s what I was feeling today. I feel like everyone else seems to be so much more clued in to what’s going on around me than I am.. The last straw was tonight. I had made plans to meet the UVM SEED team that I’m advising at 3PM tomorrow . I called my freind Victor to invite him to the meeting. Victor’s wife Patti’s frst words to me were “Stay away from UVM tomorrow”.. Why .. I asked ? “Because Pres . Obama’ is speaking there tomorrow.. :. How did I not know that ?!? Seems like everyone else I know seemed to have been clued in to that for weeks..
Same sort of thing happened with iht my blog last night about Trevon Martin. One of my favorite readers let me know that I might have come off as a little off the mark in my interpretation of what was going on in the Trevon story. Another told me Ithat he’d agreed with me. Whichever you felt.. I hope I did not offend anyone. . I had commented on the media swirl around Trevons parents. To be truthful, I wasn’t as up on the fact of the case as I should have been. I did not know about the circumstances or history of Trevon’s killer, .. I did not know anything about the two sides of the story.. and I did not know anything about the new evidence that apparently surfaced . All that I did not know. Still stand by my feeling that I can only feel deeply sad for Trevon and his parents…. I felt grief, not anger .. not yet.. There will be a time for that , I’m sure. As I dug in a little more today I could see the good that might come out of this tragedy in the conversations it starts. Let’s hope for that..
Now.. it’s time for me to start paying more attention to the world.
I’m trapped with a TV again.. waiting in an airport on my way home. There’s a TV here that I can’t escape.. Again, the running story is the tragedy of the 17 year old kid, Trevon Martin who was shot by a volunteer security guy. I’ve been here for about 45 minutes and the conversation continues, the same image of the smiling kids, the face of the guy who killed him. the police videos, the grieving parents. Then a quick cut.. and an aging entertainer comes on the show.. he sings a few songs.. then the shows host brings the conversation back to Trevon Martin.. What’s going on here ? This is not an issue of race, it’s not an issue of vigilantism.. it’s a tragic mistake.. two people in the wrong place, and dreadfully wrong circumstances.. and at least 4 shattered lives..
A bit ago the news guy had an interview with Trevon’s parents.. he was asking them questions like “was your son’s killing racially motivated”, “what do you think should happen now”.. and on and one. The poor kids parents were remarkably composed. They were clearly grief stricken and angry.. but they did their best to answer the questions posed to them.. My heart just went out to them.. Here they were in the center of a huge media spectacle of a huge media circus.. and they just needed to grieve.. Anyone who’s been through sudden loss like this will back me up on this.. there is no time or logic so close to a death of a loved one.. you just need to go to that really dark place and try to take it in.. and you need to be surrounded by love… not anger.. not curiosity.. not questioning. What’s happening to those poor folks is the worst torture I can imagine on top of the deepest loss. I wish the the world could leave them alone for just a few days..
I don’t know these folks, but I’m sending out love and support to all of them.. .on both sides.
nite all, nite sam
-me
I accidentally watched TV tonight.. Actually, I was eating dinner.. and there was a TV within eye shot.. so I could not look away. Even though I was having a great work talk with my buddy Tony, I could not shut out the stream of images that came over the tube.. I never can. The sound was off, thankfully, but over dinner I saw images of a fatal drug bust, and the grieving families, I saw the story of the young black man shot by a vigilante in Florida. I saw his grieving dad… at that and had to stop our conversation and sit for a bit. I also saw today about Dick Cheney’s heart transplant.. I’d seen it a few days back as well, and hadn’t commented on it.
Every time I hear of an organ transplant I have to stop and take a breath. hearing the recipient’s story is always easier.. but I know that hard duality that one persons best day.. is another family’s worst.
Still I have to say that despite what bad political feelings I may have had (or still have) for Cheney I was only happy for him. The internet abounds this week with tongue-in-cheek comment about Cheney’s change of heart.. but who knows.. a man living with that much pain and uncertainty would have surly carried emotional baggage. Perhaps that baggage manifest in a dark and mean world view.. .. maybe a fresh chance at life will mellow the man.. One thing I should add here is that the mechanical left ventricular assist device (LVAD) that kept Cheney alive these past several years is exactly the model that my brother used to fashion the world first non pulsating total artificial heart. .. interesting coincidence.. no ? .
What really made me happy though was the attention that his transplant will bring to the issue of organ donation. Say what you will of the man, he’s now a walking advertisement for life’s greatest gift.. Since Sam became a donor, I’ve used every chance I could to advocate for organ donation. What really helps is when a more visible person has a chance to do the same. I’m hoping that Cheney will join with other well known folks like Dave Crosby and Phil Lesh and make donor awareness a personal cause.. (Now there’s a trio I’d like to see play together) .
So congratulations Mr. Cheney .. i’m glad you have a new lease on life.. I hope you use it well.. And my heart goes out to the donor and his or her family.
