Vintage

I have been watching in disbelief as our “leaders” in government try to fix our economic distress.  The Democrats are, once again, blaming it all on the “rich,” that elusive, unidentifiable group of madmen who are supposed to be bent upon the demise of our country as long as “they” manage to keep their money.

This is such a laughable proposition that I should be rolling on the floor, but the fact that there are actually people who belief this hogwash and vote based upon this belief keep my chuckles at bay. I cannot help but exclaim to myself, “Do people actually think that someone who is invested in our economy wants it to tank?  What the heckfahr are they supposed to gain from an economy that’s closing businesses right and left and draining our tax rolls?” 

Ah, but it’s not really economic dominance – nor even economic equality – that is sought here.  It is power, the power that is wrung from an uneducated and mostly apathetic populace.  For those who do not know better, it is easier to appeal to the lowest common denominator in the human condition rather than make educated arguments to persuade voters to understand your position.  It is easier to cry “The rich, they are out to get you!” than to work hard to provide equal opportunity to those less fortunate.  Indeed, if those “less fortunate” were to become successful, much of the power base of these sleazebag politicians would be lost.  Notice that “the rich” won’t be found in any list anywhere.  “The rich” is not merely those who are lucky enough to have incomes over a certain amount. (Note that the “luck” is often disguised by the years of hard work, sacrifice, and assumed risk.)  No, “the rich” are not evil unless they also subscribe to a certain political attitude, blaming their “fellow rich” of the opposite political spectrum for all of the evils.  I suppose dollar bills, like sand*, have a memory, and reflect the social mores of their last owner.  That evil, evil money!  Except the money from the likes of George Soros and his ilk!

It is more expedient for the power hungry politicians to appeal to the base emotions of the uneducated in order to gain their votes and keep their power.  One of those base emotions, and one of the Seven Deadly (or Capital) Sins, is Envy.  Envy keeps one from being happy.  Envy makes it easy to not achieve.  Envy lets the lazy offload their personal guilt over non-achievement to focus their frustration elsewhere.  You don’t have a lot of money?  Well, then, the rich people must have taken it from you!  They refuse to even think that accumulating wealth is not a zero-sum game, where if one wins it means another loses.  They think of wealth as coming from a finite pile of money, and if someone else grabs larger handfuls of the cash it means there is less for someone else.  Even with the wealth of information available in public schools and free libraries, it easier to blame someone else for their failures than to bootstrap themselves through self-discipline and a taxpayer supplied education.  Envy!  Be jealous of someone else’s good fortune!  Don’t be happy for the success of others!  Noooo, carry that weight of envy and anger and allow yourself to be manipulated into voting for those who would continue your plight, in order to retain their power.

I teach the pre-confirmation class at my church, and last week’s discussion was Sin & Virtue.  We talked about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Three Theological Virtues, and the Seven Capital Sins.  When we got to envy, I asked if any of the students had heard about how to keep crabs in a bucket.  One of them had, and explained to his fellow students the best way to do it.  If a bucket holds only one crab, that crab will escape the bucket every time, unless a lid is used.  However, if two or more crabs are in the bucket, as soon as one crab starts making progress out, the other crab will reach up and pull it down.

The envious class is treated like a bucket of crabs.  They continually try to pull down those who are escaping their poverty bucket, and peer in awe at that godlike creature that put them in that position in the beginning.  That godlike creature has every reason to keep them in that bucket.  Little do the crabs realize that they are the main course for the godlike creature who wants to keep them right where they are.

*A reference to Al Gore’s book on the environment.  I refuse to supply the name.

Today I remember my friend, Dora.  I met Dora years ago through activities at my church.   This makes total sense, since she was one of those dependable servants of God who served in many functions over the years.  She and I were working as catechists during her last five years or so, and our paths crossed continuously for different reasons.  I always looked forward to her smile and that ever-so-constant twinkle in her eye.  We had a special relationship, she and I!  I always teased her about her accumulation of years, and she teased me for my lack thereof.  I was the only person allowed to call her an “old bat,” because it was always said with a smile and heartfelt love.  She always laughed and hugged me and then gave me back what I had just dished out. 

Dora was one of those dedicated people who spent her life serving others.  Her husband had died before I met her, so she had plenty of time on her hands and spent it well.  She worked with people going through bereavement, and often volunteered to say the rosary at the viewings of deceased parishioners.  She was a chaplain at a local hospital and served on various parish and community committees.  She and I shared a strong desire to educate our fellow parishioners about their faith, and we shared a lot of opinions.  I enjoyed our talks about our faith and how well (or not) certain students were doing.  Dora had accumulated, along with her abundance of years, an abundance of wisdom, and I was always ready to absorb some of what she knew.

The last time I saw Dora was several months ago, and I asked how she was doing.  Over the years she had undergone multiple medical treatments to unclog her carotid arteries, and she had survived breast cancer many years ago, before we met.  She had developed a dowager’s hump as well, but she always smiled and carried on her rather proper way.  I never saw her without her lipstick and make-up, and her hair was always done.  So there she was, dressed up for church, and her response to my question was that some preliminary tests indicated that she might have pancreatic cancer.  My blood ran cold and for once I was speechless.  What do you say at that time?  I wished her well and asked her to let me know if I could help.

Shortly afterwards, I stopped at her house, but she was not home.  I found out from a friend at church that she had moved in with her daughter on the north side of town during her treatment.  I also found out that she had brain cancer.  I knew, though I tried to deny it, that I would not see my friend alive again.  Those accumulated years that I had teased her about were not working in her favor anymore.  I sent her a few cards to wish her well, but I heard that she was tired and losing ground and spent much of her time sleeping and recovering from her chemotherapy and radiation treatments. 

My dear friend died on Christmas day.  We found out at mass the following Sunday, and when the announcement was made there was a sigh from the congregation.  When I went to church for the recitation of her rosary, I could not help but think back on her work in this area.  I did not go to see her in her casket, though I could make out the purple hat and its satin ribbon that she wore to cover the loss of her beautiful white hair, and I could see that she still wore her red lipstick.  I wanted to remember her as I had always seen her – with the knowing smile and that ever-present twinkle in her eye, bustling off to do some errand or other.

Good bye, my dear friend!  You will be missed, but I look forward to seeing you again someday.