The Edge of Change.

So, here we are, teetering on the edge of big change. I mean, really big change. The change we asked for. The only problem is, we are not really sure what that change means. We are not clear on the details and we do not have a clue about the outcomes.

We hear a lot about change. Politicians run on change. We desire change, or so we say. But do we really?

Have we ever really identified exactly what we mean by change? I don't think we have. And now, we are afraid of it. Go figure.

Some promised changes make big headlines. Like the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. You know, the one that Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama wants to shut down. The one that promises to protect us as consumers. This is real change that we want and that we probably will not get, because no one wants to be the one to upset the banks.

Just ask Senator Richard Shelby.

This is change that may still happen, as far as a bill is concerned. It just will not be a bill with any teeth. So, we may see some change, but most of that will come from banks now finding ways to work around the weakened law and charge us even more fees. And, of course, they will still be giving big money to the political candidates who helped them achieve this goal.

So, no real change there, although at election time I am sure that this bill will be pointed to as part of a successful change agenda.

And now onto healthcare. Looks like President Obama wants healthcare reform to pass, even though most Americans polled do not think this is the right time.

And you all know how we felt about it in Massachusetts after the election of Scott Brown, who ran on a campaign platform that said that he would essentially, 'kill the bill'. And this from a blue state. The bluest of blue.

It is not that we want people to be without healthcare insurance; it is that we want the right type of reform, which begins and ends with the insurance industry being taken to task. And that is just not going to happen. Plus, we see big dollar signs here with no real understanding of how it will effect us as individuals, especially those of us already covered and happy with our coverage. So this is change we did not ask for, have actually spoken out against, but seems to be coming anyway.

So, what did we want when we actually said we wanted change?

I guess I would start with President Bush. We certainly grew tired of him, Dick Cheney and the war.

Ah, the war. We anticipated some real change there, didn't we? And we do not have change at all. On the contrary. Seems like we are moving forward as planned by the previous administration. No change at all. Not a smidge.

And how about Global Warming? Or is it now Climate Change? Seems nothing is happening at all on that end. Seems the scientists have to start over by proving that their data has not been falsified. Meanwhile, there is real evidence of change. All one has to do is look out the window and see an earlier spring and changes in weather patterns not seen in centuries. And I am sure that you cannot fake the melting and collapse of glaciers.

So, I guess we will leave it to our children to figure that one out. It is mired in controversy and doubt and that is basically a way of saying that Washington doesn't want any real change. They will simply argue about it. That way, they look as though they are doing something, even though they are not. Typical Washington behavior. And, again, no change.

So what has changed? I would venture to say, not much. Not much at all.

And so, because there has been no change that we can identify clearly, we are ripe for change again.

I just don't get it. No one listens to the people they represent. They don't listen, so we vote them out. Or, they pretend to listen at election time, and because we embrace change and fear it at the same time, we vote in the devil we know. Safer than the devil we don't know. But they again disappoint, and again we cry for change. Seems this cycle cannot be broken.

So what are we left to do? Seems not to matter. Seems the more I read and the more involved I get in the process, the more I see that I am not part of the process at all. That the change that Washington wants, or my Commonwealth wants or even my own local school board wants, will happen anyway. It will roll right over me.

And there I lie. Powerless. Disappointed. Angry and betrayed. My only ammunition? My vote. And even that is not enough.

So, what do we do? Cover our eyes and hope for the best? Pray that our elected officials make good decisions based on facts and real understanding, instead of pandering to the strong undercurrents of greed and power?

I am not sure.

I do not have any good answers. I feel overwhelmed at times with all the political games being played.

And for all the promises of hope and change, I still see homeless people on the street, kids without strong schools to educate them, elders who cannot afford the high price of their medication, pedophiles released from prison to harm again, the rich getting richer, bailed out banks doling out big bonuses while the unemployed grow in number. I see towns forced to cut back on teachers, firemen and police. I see unsafe bridges on our highways. I see food pantries beg for more supplies, fund-raisers for town libraries to keep them afloat, and more and more of us growing fatter and sicker each year. It all amazes me. This is not change at all. It feels like the more big government grows and changes, the less and less we have in our own towns and neighborhoods.

So, where is the change? The good change? I do not really see it. At least not change that betters us in any way and is truly meaningful. The change I see is maddening and unpredictable, and yet, we still clamor for it in an almost obscene way. And I don't see that changing any time soon, either.

Nothing endures but change.
Heraclitus (540 BC - 480 BC)