In the first video of this series, I discussed the censorship and silencing of Republicans/conservatives by the extreme leftist agenda. In this second video, I explore my experience with political correctness, beginning during my college years in the late 1980s. I believe that the PC Mafia that has since gained tremendous force is the vehicle by which the silencing of traditional, conservative views and values has taken place.
Words are powerful, and the PC agenda has used the hijacking of language to control people's thoughts and behaviors. I relate this to the concept of "frog boiling," in which a frog put in cold water that is gradually heated to boiling will not jump out to save itself. We've become desensitized to the manipulation of the Democratic Party and the liberal media. The political correctness that once seemed to be a benign seeking of justice has evolved into a radical, ideological oppression.
Many pieces of the big picture have been put into place through politically correct control tactics. The next topic I will explore is one of these prime movers, feminism. As a woman, I can speak to this topic through personal experience. But one effect of feminism has been the silencing of men. I look forward to hearing the views of both sexes on this provocative topic!
Happy Feast of the Most Holy Trinity! And happy Father's Day to all the good men of God. We're having yet another day of rain in northern Ohio, but I was gifted with a ray of sunshine this morning and am filled with gratitude.
A couple of days ago I made a YouTube video about the #WalkAway Campaign, which you can view and read about in the previous post. I happened to be on Facebook when a comment notification appeared in the corner of my screen, but it wasn't clear where it was coming from. I went here to the blog but didn't see any notice of a new comment. On a whim I checked to see if there was anything awaiting approval. It turned out that the comment on the #WalkAway post was made at YouTube itself, but in my blog box I found a whole bunch of thoughtful remarks from readers that I had no idea were there! Apparently the notifications feature hasn't been working for some time.
I feel so encouraged by all the women who took the time to respond to my writing in such lovely ways. What especially struck me is that my articles resonate with both Protestants and Catholics. One of my missions is to work for Christian unity, and I feel affirmed that I'm on the right track. The Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is our model for Christian unity. We are one in the Spirit, as the song goes! Another thing that really stood out was that these women could disagree with me on certain points in a generous and gracious way. I always welcome divergent views. What I don't tolerate are personal attacks on myself, other individuals, or groups of people. I think most of us get really discouraged on social media, because expressing any strong opinion, or calling out the ugliness we're bombarded with, often results in a vitriolic reaction. To have people respond to my blog in the overwhelmingly positive way that they have does my heart so much good. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who takes the time to read Organic Mothering, and especially to those who have let me know that they support my mission and have received help and inspiration from my words. Finding this gift of your comments today has reinvigorated me to continue this work with confidence. Please be patient as I gradually go through them with my replies. Godspeed!!
Yesterday I was under the weather and spent way too much time on YouTube. But a fortuitous thing happened. I discovered the #WalkAway Campaign, a movement of former liberals who have taken the "red pill" regarding what the Democratic Party is really all about. The first video I watched is an interview with the founder of the campaign, Brandon Straka, a gay man from NYC, and two other leaders of the group. They discuss the massive rejection and hatred they encountered over switching to the conservative Trump camp. As minorities, it was expected that they be liberal Democrats. They thought they had no choice. This is the most intelligent discussion I've heard on these topics. It's a must-see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATwSpkqI2gk
I also watched a fascinating #WalkAway documentary featuring black Americans who feel deceived and betrayed by the Democratic Party. It begins with Brandon's testimonial video that went viral: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNvBpXzKG2E A common theme among the #WalkAway stories is that people felt intimidated into silence. Now they are courageously "coming out" as former liberals who have seen the light. I'm not on Instagram, but I joined the Facebook group. You can go to the website at walkawaycampaign.com for more information and testimonials. This is the first video I plan to share in a series on breaking the silence being imposed on conservatives by the socialist left and showcasing various elements of the big picture. I invite you to take the red pill (ask Wikipedia about the 1990s movie, "The Matrix," if you have no idea what I'm talking about!) with me and get at the truth. The truth will set us free, and our freedom as Americans is exactly what is at stake.
Additional note: A viewer brought to my
attention that I wasn't clear on a couple of points in the video.
Unfortunately I don't have technical editing skills, and I've heard from
other youtubers that it takes several hours to edit a video, so I'm
going to leave it as it is. When I mention the Catholic Church's
official teaching on marriage (which is the same in some other Christian
denominations), and how those views, even when expressed respectfully
and without malice, are not allowed, but are viciously attacked by the
media and the liberal PC police; I am NOT meaning to say that homosexual
people are any less Christian than anyone else. I didn't even present my personal opinion on gay marriage, but used this as an example of the silencing of conservatives. What I did specifically mean to imply is
that as a Christian, I cannot in good conscience vote for a Democratic
candidate due to that party's extreme pro-abortion agenda. For me, that
issue trumps (pun may or may not be intended!) any others at this point.
I do see the Democratic party and liberal media as promoting a culture
of death and destruction. That does not mean that I villainize everyone
who votes Democrat. I clearly stated that I believe there is evil on
both sides. The silencing, however, appears very one-sided. I hope that
clears up any misunderstanding! I really did try to be sensitive and
clear, so please forgive my imperfections.
Infiltration: The Plot to Destroy the Catholic Church from Within, by Dr. Taylor Marshall, will be released May 31. I've been following Dr. Marshall's YouTube show, "TnT," co-hosted with Timothy Gordon. These guys shoot straight from the hip about all-the-things surrounding the ongoing crisis in the Church. The goal of this book is to provide an explanation for what and who led to the events and revelations related to the 2018 "summer of shame." Last summer exposed for the world a systemic sex abuse scandal involving the highest levels of Church hierarchy and reaching back many decades. How can the laity help to heal and restore the Body of Christ? I'm awaiting Dr. Marshall's recommendations, but I've already begun to implement small steps of my own. Many Catholics have been calling for a return to tradition for some time, especially in the liturgy of the Mass. Some are fortunate to have regular access to the Tridentine Mass, or Traditional Latin Mass, and have been spiritually edified by what they feel is a more reverent worship of God. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI re-instituted this pre-Vatican II form of the Mass while he was still the acting pope. He asked that the faithful refer to this as the Extraordinary Form. (The 2nd Vatican Council was held from 1962-1965.)
The Ordinary Form of the Mass, instituted after Vatican II, is the one most available across the world and is spoken in the vernacular languages. It's often referred to as the Novus Ordo. Unfortunately, division has been created by liturgical abuses in the Ordinary Form and by those who prefer one form over the other, with very vocal protests. I won't go into the reasons for the debate here, but you can read all about it on the Internet. Do be aware that there's a lot of misinformation out there. One approach to bridging the gap is to return, even if only on an individual basis, to more traditional practices in both worship during the Mass and in private devotions. Near to where I live, the Extraordinary Form is only available once a month, at a parish in an adjoining county. I've been to it a couple of times, but my family has always attended the Ordinary Form otherwise. Even with a guide to follow the Latin with English translations, I was honestly lost during the Tridentine Mass. I plan to go again soon so I can make a better evaluation of the differences between the two forms.
Last Sunday I began to receive the Eucharist on the tongue rather than in the hand, and to make sure that I'm in line to receive from either the priest or deacon, rather than from lay persons (known as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, who can only distribute the Eucharist in the Ordinary Form). In the Tridentine Mass, the Eucharist can only be received on the tongue and is distributed exclusively by a priest or deacon. Here, only the host (the bread) is available. Both the bread and wine can be received at the Novus Ordo. I felt a profound difference immediately from receiving the consecrated bread on the tongue. I'd been feeling awkward and uncomfortable receiving in the hand and from a lay person. These practices are allowed in the U.S. and do not desecrate the Eucharist, which Catholics believe is the Real Presence of Jesus, body, blood, soul, and divinity, in the transubstantiated bread and wine. In order to receive the consecrated wine, doing so from a lay person is unavoidable at the parishes I attend, but it's fine to receive the host alone. And since the wine is in a chalice and isn't directly touched by the Extraordinary Ministers, I'm more comfortable with it.
Today I
wore a head scarf, in the tradition of women veiling, a practice which goes back to the early Church and is a biblical exhortation. The Church no longer requires women to veil at the Mass, but from what I understand, this was never officially stated. Rather, the requirement was only omitted from an update to Canon Law at some point following Vatican II. My feeling is that women can have a profound impact in their parishes by taking up this devotion in humility to Christ and as role models for the restoration of tradition. I have veiled at other times, and once it brought such great joy to a man who had grown up with women veiling at church. He said to my husband, "You must be so proud of her!" I feel an internal shift toward piety when I wear a head covering at Mass, and I don't think I'll be able to go without it anymore.
In so many ways our modern society is faltering, failing, and sinking into the abyss as a result of the loss and intentional rejection of traditional values. As the rot in the hierarchy is rooted out, we can return to the roots of our Faith. The solution is not to leave the Church. I converted to Catholicism because I came to believe that this is the one Church founded by Jesus on the rock he named Peter. I believe that in this Church, full of snakes and sinners, the fullest expression of Christian Truth can be found. I believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and I will not be deprived of this spiritual nourishment. Don't let Satan win. Fight in your own little way, until the light you shine becomes irrepressible. My goal for this summer is to continue to implement ideas for the restoration of tradition in Catholic worship and with my family in the domestic church, and to create a picture for you of how all this fits with the virtue of simplicity. Please share your own ideas and practices in the comments! St. Rita of Cascia, patroness of Impossible Causes, pray for us!
I stumbled across the idea on the internet to give up clutter for Lent via the "40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge" (see https://www.whitehouseblackshutters.com/). Basically, you remove 40 bags of stuff from your home during the course of Lent, through giving away, throwing away, recycling, or selling your possessions. In terms of simplicity, this plan hits the mark! Last year I tried to give up multiple things at once, form entirely new habits, and overhaul my life in one fell swoop. This year's plan is uncomplicated.
I think I've decided to ditch using a particular method. Each decluttering/tidying approach is proclaimed to be The One, isn't it? They can't all be The One. I'm just going in with a bag, buckling down, going through stuff, filling the bag, and then either emptying the contents in the trash or recycling bin, or taking them to a new home. There's enough clutter available that I can just tackle whatever I feel like on a given day.
Have I filled a bag every day in the last week? No. But I aim to reach the 40 bag goal by Friday of Holy Week. I had the thought that at the end, I may have barely made a dent in my clutter, and that would be so disappointing! That's the devil talking. Why botherto begin if you will never reach the end? he taunts. Flick him off your shoulder.
With each bag I fill, I'm coming out of hiding. I'm rediscovering lost bits of myself and my life, and I'm letting go of what no longer serves me.
Personally, I don't want to make the effort to sell my stuff. That could easily turn into procrastination. The exception would be homeschooling materials that are worth a substantial amount of money that my husband could put on Ebay. Otherwise I'd rather donate, and it is the prime season for almsgiving, after all.
How large should your bags be? I recommend small bags so you can quickly see the clutter leaving your home. I don't want to let bags sit for days on end, waiting to be filled and then getting too heavy for me to haul out on my own. Yesterday I filled a plastic bag with paper clutter, dumped it into the recycling bin, and took the bag back to the room to use again. However the plan works best for you is the best plan. Maybe don't even count your bags. Just spend 15 minutes a day letting go of things that you don't find to be either useful or beautiful. When you figure out what you really need to keep, you'll have only what you truly need to live your best life. Isn't that an end worth pursuing?
I was recently talking with a couple of other ladies, when one of them, several years into her 50s, suddenly proclaimed that "we've peaked." My initial reaction was to want to shoot back with, "Speak for yourself!" After all, I just turned 50 at the end of December, and everything in me cried out in rejection of this proclamation. I don't remember the context of the conversation, but my friend was referring to our status of beauty. I ended up responding, "You haven't known me very long. How do you know this isn't the best I've ever been?"
There was no answer to that question, but the comment lingered with me. A few days later, I woke up thinking of the fictional character Jay Gatsby, from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, set in 1922. I told my husband about it, reflecting on this man's remarkable reinvention of himself. "But Gatsby died," Husband insisted. Yet despite the tragic outcome of his efforts to obtain great wealth, glamour and status to win back Daisy Buchanan, the former flame of his younger, impoverished years, I replied that Gatsby's was nevertheless a brilliant reinvention.
Jay Gatsby never exactly lied about his life and the origins of his wealth. His real name was James Gatz, so he kept pretty close to it. In the melting pot of America it wasn't unusual for family names to have been altered to sound less ethnic, so the jazzing up of his name wasn't particularly deceptive. He claimed to have inherited his money, which originally was true, but the inheritance was contested and taken from him. He also called himself an "Oxford man." While he didn't graduate from Oxford, he did spend several months there while serving in the military. His current wealth was earned by less than legal enterprises, but he was simply vague about the details of his business. Exotic rumors abounded about this mysterious tycoon, adding to his allure. He threw lavish party after party and was the toast of New York society.
Jackie Kennedy came to mind, and how I had heard that she may have exaggerated her French heritage for the sake of her chic image. Don't we all strive to show ourselves to the world in the best possible light? Perhaps if we focused more energy on our goals and put our imaginations to better use, the life we dream might come closer to being the life we have...
Poor Gatsby was a dreamer, living in the past while at the same time attempting to rewrite the story, and projecting his illusions on his married lover. While he may not be the most ideal person to wish to emulate, there's much to be gleaned from his knack for reinventing one's "brand." His character is immensely relatable--an incurable romantic, desperately searching for meaning in his life, striving to recapture the happiness of the past and reconcile it with his present reality. And set in the vivid Jazz Age of the 1920s, it appeals to my nostalgic attraction to all things vintage.
Jay Gatsby never gave up hope. He believed to the end. One of my plans for Lent this year, which begins in three days, is to embark on a radical reinvention. Will I change my name? Maybe. What I'm thinking is that no one else should get to decide that you have "peaked," that you've hit the height of your beauty or anything else, and the rest is all downhill. In fact, the idea of peaking is just plain silly. Imagine if Grandma Moses, having decided she had peaked, had never started painting at all! My belief is that women need to give up betraying themselves and one another. I will be exploring how we betray ourselves and what to do about it in the coming weeks.
Have you ever embarked on a reinvention of your life? What were the results? Please share your experiences in the comments!
The last time I posted here, I was 49 years old. I turned 50 on December 29, and I'm not sure I'm used to the idea quite yet. I think women are so conditioned to react in a certain way about this milestone that it's difficult to tell how one really feels.
I certainly felt shock. I imagine that's to be expected. And like my mother before me, I didn't want too much fanfare about the whole thing. My parents came to town, and my husband, daughter, and I went out for dinner with them. I received gifts, for both my birthday and Christmas. My sister and best friend called on the telephone to sing "Happy Birthday" to me, and of course I got many well wishes from Facebook friends.
I thought of having a bigger celebration this month of January, as my birthday falls between Christmas and the New Year, when many people are busy and/or exhausted. But to be honest, the idea of it felt stressful. Just thinking about who to invite was overwhelming. I had to ask myself, "Self, what does your heart really desire?" Not just for the birthday itself, but for this new phase of life?
Because that's what it is. Maybe especially for a woman, 50 is about embarking on a new journey. I haven't hit menopause yet, and I'm still raising a child, but some women my age are post-menopausal, empty-nesters. I'm technically still in the "summer" of life, but the next season is right around the corner, and there's no more denying that I have reached middle age. My clever rationale is that one cannot truly know when one's middle age was until death. But being that I'm not likely to live too much past 100, I can no longer avoid the middle age label, even to myself. It's here.
So now what? Does anything actually have to change? Besides continuing to get older, nothing technically must change just because I've hit not only a new decade, but the half-century mark. People will tell you that "age is just a number." That's not really a helpful saying when one turns the big 5-0. Plus, this attitude, that it's no big deal after all, side-steps what can be an excellent opportunity to head in an exciting new direction.
I actually began some positive changes last year, such as giving up dairy for Lent. Though I've had some milk chocolate and a few slices of cheese pizza since then, for the most part I've kicked the dairy habit. In the process I've shed about 14 pounds! I actually weigh less now than I did in my 40s, so ha!! I've given away many pieces of clothing that were too large and bought smaller sizes for replacements, and that's a great feeling.
In October I purchased a bra online that was too snug. I was going to return it but didn't. Last week my husband asked me about it, and on a hunch I tried it on. Only a few months later, and it fits! Since I've continued to lose weight strictly by not consuming dairy, imagine what I could do if I was trying, like, if I kept to a consistent exercise regimen. What I've determined that I really want for my birthday is to allow myself more good things. I've "made do" with what I had all my adult life. Only recently have I even let myself buy most of my clothing new, rather than from thrift stores. I've lived with most of the paint color choices in my home that were here when we moved in over 11 years ago. We've left home projects that seriously need to be completed undone, and there's no reason for it. Shabbiness really isn't chic, and it doesn't bode well for one's confidence and self-respect. It's time to blow the horn, yell charge!, and ride into battle.
Over the years, of necessity, I got into the habit of being very frugal. Not being wasteful, not shopping for emotional therapy, using what I had on hand creatively--all of these are good things. But I fear that deep down I haven't felt worthy to have what I want. Also, because my husband has been the primary breadwinner since our child was born, I've always cringed at spending money.
I had to force myself to buy a new bed last year, even though the mattress was 14 years old, and my back desperately needed better support. My contributions to my family are worth a pretty penny indeed, and it's okay to spend some of those shiny coins to bring more Beauty to my days. I'm not advocating gross consumerism, but rather having quality over quantity, being good stewards of one's possessions, and cultivating an authentic life. Turning 50 is setting me free to ask for what I want and to let go of the guilt. If I don't create the life I dream of now, when will I do it? Now is the time to keep working toward my ideal weight, to paint my home and decorate to fulfill my "hacienda dreams" (see previous post), to finish decluttering in all senses of the word, and to allow myself true happiness.
No one has to wait for a particular age to be happy. But for une femme d'un certain age, I implore you that it's necessary. Now is the time to make happiness your top priority. So hop on a wild mare with me, grab your lance, and let's ride!!
