The walk out this morning was lovely with a mix of sun and cloud, but reasonably warm temperature. When walking back at noon, the clouds had thickened and the wind had picked up considerably. The day was one of contrasts. I worked at getting some recycling ready to go to the curb tonight by sorting through household and research files. I managed to get two extra blue bags readied for pick up.
While reading this evening, I had the party leaders' debate on in the background. While there were some good points made, most was very repetitive, some was petty, and often it descended into speaking over each other and ignoring the debate moderator. I rarely watch these things, but felt the need to listen to all leaders before voting in the advance polls this next weekend. I'm not sure this changed my mind, but it did solidify some of the thoughts I'd had already. I've not seen a debate where people stick to the times and rules presented to all participants. Playing to the camera and audience by arguing like school children seems odd when wanting to sway people to one side. Being quick to anger doesn't seem the way to go, even when the person speaking at you irritates every nerve in your body. I've seen this in work sites at meetings and with friends and family disagreeing. Falling to the point of name calling seems less than adult, particularly for someone wanting your vote. Yet, all of us can react when buttons are pushed, leading to failure to listen or present a sensible statement. Empathetic listening and maintaining calm might work better -- but then, what do I know about what the rest of the viewers wanted to see. Current expectations for televised events seem to want sensationalist activities, and those expecting something different from a political debate are is stark contrast to larger swaths of the populace.
Lyrics from a song seemed to fit the contrasts seen in the debate and how the weather events were fighting it out today. Enjoy!
Hear Me Out -- New Edition
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