Detoxing From Politics
By REY FLORES
When I was blessed with the opportunity to write for The Wanderer, I took it as a chance to share my joys, pains, sorrows, good times and bad, and everything else in between, with my fellow Catholics who read The Wanderer.
While I can barely remember what I wrote about a month ago, I know that I have attempted to write about internal Church issues and goings-on. I have addressed pro-life, marriage, family and education topics, all while still keeping at least one foot in the church building.
I have attempted to keep a Catholic angle on everything I write even if it has nothing to do with the Church specifically, but I noticed that during the past year I was veering off track and starting to write more from a secular perspective. Without a doubt it had everything to do with the 2016 elections.
I guess my being Catholic means that everything I write is from a Catholic angle anyway, so maybe I haven’t lost my way too badly. What I always like to do, however, is keep the idea of prayer for answers to our problems, and hope in God because He always has everything in His control.
As I attempted to put together this week’s column, I found myself once again ranting about the current state of politics and about how frustrating it is to watch the left-wing radical nut jobs continue to throw the world’s longest mass temper tantrum ever.
While I have been writing about President Trump and mainly about his detractors, I have found myself becoming more pessimistic, angrier, and having less and less charity and empathy for my fellow human beings, especially the liberal ones who are driving me completely nuts.
That’s when I remember that one most important part from our Lord’s prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
I like to remind my kids once in a while about that specific line, especially when they are arguing or fighting or being critical of others. Reminding them is helpful to me as well because I am reminding myself not to be such an unforgiving jerk.
Lately I have found that I literally have to unglue my smartphone from the sweaty grip of my hands because if I don’t, I find myself ignoring my wife and children when I am at home. I know that a lot of my work and writing involves keeping up with the news and other current events, but I never want to look back and think about all the time and attention I failed to give to my kids because of this infernal little gadget.
I notice that wherever I go, whether it’s walking down the street from my car to my office, or I’m at the airport and see how everyone has his nose buried in his smartphone or tablet. I’ve even had to say “watch where you’re going” to a few people who were about to run into me because they weren’t paying attention to where they were walking.
I’m really glad that Donald Trump is our new president, but there are many people who disagree with me who make no secret of their contempt for him and for those of us who support him.
Just before the general election in November I had a mad woman attempt to run me off the road after screaming anti-Trump obscenities at me. Apparently my Trump sticker on my car triggered this snowflake into a road rage episode that could have ended disastrously had it not been for my excellent defensive driving skills — honed in the mean and unforgiving streets of Chicago.
Every day in the news I hear of yet one more conservative person being assaulted by some liberal yahoo who screams tolerance but has no clue what the word means. Like that kid who was recently beat up on a school bus for wearing a “Make America Great Again” baseball cap. Reports say that all students involved in the incident were disciplined — including the boy who was attacked!
Then there are the stubborn Democrats who have done everything they can to drag their feet in confirming President Trump’s cabinet picks. Some Democrats — like Cong. Maxine Waters, one of the most absurd people in Washington, D.C., in my opinion — are now ridiculously calling for an impeachment of President Trump. This is based on absolutely no grounds.
It’s like we’re living in one of those old Twilight Zone episodes where everything is as wacky and upside down as could be.
Do you see how I did that? I said I wasn’t going to write about any politics, going so far as to title my column “Detoxing From Politics” and here I am once again, ranting and raving and abusing my poor computer keyboard by pounding on the keys until my fingers hurt.
Deep breaths, Rey, deep breaths. In and out, that’s it. Say at least one Hail Mary or the St. Michael prayer and everything should be all right. Breathe in, breathe out. Ah. That’s better.
As I was saying, it is time for me to back away from the Internet, put my phone away when I get home, and enjoy the wonderful family God has blessed me with.
We’ve all heard that we should slow down, take life a little easier and stop and smell the flowers once in a while. Funny thing is that my last name means flowers in Spanish; so does that mean I should stop and smell my kiddos? Not before bath nights, at least.
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Rey Flores is detoxing from politics and welcomes any healthy advice at: reyfloresusa@gmail.com.
