Memories are ephemeral things. They get stacked like dishes in a cabinet, most never brought out until evoked by happenstance — a story told by a friend, an unexpected phone call, an old family photo. We more easily recall the high moments, the weddings, births, holidays, deaths. The events of an ordinary day from, say, seven years ago, are mostly forgotten.
Unless, that is, you have a device like the Portal that’s in our kitchen. It’s a screen on a stand that will play music or perform other web duties as needed, but we mostly use it for long-distance calls with family, so everyone can see each other at once.
You can also link the Portal to photos from your camera or computer. Portal then cycles through your pictures at random, posting them for 10 seconds at a time, before sliding into the next one. Since we have made hundreds of photos available to Portal, this can be both delightful and disconcerting.
Walk into the kitchen and you might see a photo of a gorgeous sunset from a long-ago boat ride, followed by a shot from that horrible February when your roof had to be replaced, followed by a picture of your beloved old mutt, Trotsky, who died in 2015. Every 10 seconds, it’s a new memory to think about, a new reminder of how much past has really passed and how many of life’s transitory moments we forget.
Yesterday, a picture I took of then-President Donald Trump’s infamous 2017 “covfefe” tweet appeared. It was once a big deal. Was the president delivering a secret message? What did it mean? I hadn’t thought about “covfefe” and the temporary nuttiness that ensued for a long time. I bet you haven’t either. Once, it was the story of the week. Now it’s just another “WTF?” moment from the Donald years.
The photo reminded me of last week’s kerfuffle involving Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who, in a rambling tirade, accused “Nancy Pelosi’s gazpacho police” of spying on her and other members of Congress. The pundits had a field day making sport of MTG. Pelosi was a “soup nazi.” She’s connected to “anti-pho.” Ha ha, etc. Afterward came a tepid debate about whether Taylor Greene was really that stupid (I vote yes) or whether she was playing a clever four-dimensional chess game to get people talking about her.
Who knows? Nobody but Marjorie Taylor Greene. But as the “covfefe” incident demonstrates, none of it will matter in a couple of weeks. Today’s distraction will be yesterday’s soup.
But the distractions can present a real danger, not just fodder for foolishness. While everyone is yukking it up about MTG’s gaffe, GOP-controlled states around the country are continuing to pass laws that restrict voting rights, a woman’s right to choose, and the rights of LGBTQ people. They are redistricting their party into permanent majority status. It’s happening here in Tennessee as we speak. In addition, Governor Bill Lee is proceeding apace with his audacious plan to pay a Michigan-based Christian school to create up to 500 private charter schools in Tennessee, using tax dollars meant to go to public schools. It’s a huge grift and a deep dive into unconstitutional waters. But that won’t stop “Bible Bill” from pushing like hell to make it happen.
All the national talking heads are making dire forecasts about the 2022 midterms for Democrats, saying the GOP is likely to take back the House and Senate. This isn’t a drill, anymore. It’s no longer politics as usual. One of the two major American parties has skied down the slippery slope, has gone all in for establishing a one-party Christian autocracy as our new system of government.
You have but to listen to the tweet-rants of senators Marsha Blackburn, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and others. They don’t speak of policy or lawmaking. It’s all about spreading fear and disinformation. That’s it. That’s the play. You and I can stand up and fight like hell, or we can sit back and enjoy the shit gazpacho we’re all about to be served.