At a Loss for Thoughts
Even The Thinker hits a dry spell sometimes
I’m The Thinker.
I think.
It’s what I do.
But I have to admit, I’m hitting a dry spell at the moment.
There’s lots of thoughts swirling around, but I’m having trouble capturing one and expounding on it. I want to post more. I want to examine our country, our society, and make sense of it all. I want to help others make sense too.
I want to give people ideas and tools for conducting their lives and dealing with others. For helping to make our country and the world a better place.
I want to understand our current state of affairs and foresee where we are going.
At the moment, however, things are cloudy. I am not seeing as clearly.
The “Gates” in my publication name refers to the “Gates of Hell”. I sit in front of them with determined reason and hope, trying to ward off the demons that constantly try to emerge and….
I failed. Some got out. I’m sorry.
Now I have two purposes. I need to find those demons and put them back in. “Deport” them, for lack of a more apropos term.
I also have to continue trying to keep the rest at bay, just as I’ve been doing for all this time. It’s not an easy job.
Sure, some do get out from time to time. They are generally not too hard to find.
But the longer they’re out, the more powerful they grow. So time is of the essence.
I know this. And I also know I’m losing time already. But I haven’t had an original thought for about a week. Others have taken charge, and they are doing great.
I’m a small fish in a huge pond, but every tiny ripple of the pond matters. Every orifice at the Gates is important. Demons can negotiate terrain like no other entity. They can get through anywhere.
I’ll have a lot to think and a lot to say soon, I’m sure. In fact, now there’s going to be more to think and more to say.
But I admit, I am surprised to know that even The Thinker—the epitome of logic and reason—needs to grieve sometimes. The Thinker experiences loss and devastation, just like everyone else.
Who would have thunk it?
No worries, we will be here. My brain is fried so I understand. We all need to remember to take care of ourselves mentally and physically.
I know it's been a hard week, but hang in there. In terms of understanding the results, it's worth remembering the term thermostatic response, something I had mentioned to you maybe a year ago, when I first found your Substack. American politics has long seen a back-and-forth pattern between the parties, in which public opinion shifts in the direction against whoever is in power. Biden's achievements were bound to put voters in a more conservative mood, even if inflation hadn't been a factor. This is just how American politics tends to work; policy success for one party produces backlash.