I voted today. It felt kind of like giving blood, except without the sensation that I just helped somebody. The wooziness and that dejected sensation that comes from lying down and letting someone take some of your blood away from you—that part was familiar. They really ought to give out oatmeal cookies at the polls. In an election like this, no matter who wins, an oatmeal cookie is as good as it’s going to get.
In lieu of cookies, here are eight things to be happy about, despite the election:
Target and Nordstrom have begun using a cute kid named Ryan in their ads. Oh, and he has Down Syndrome. But, says Time, “there were no self-congratulatory press releases or pats on the back, signaling that Ryan’s presence in the catalog was nothing out of the ordinary.” Another child with Down Syndrome recently won a modelling contest in the UK, and the modelling agency displayed same (extremely healthy) casual attitude: a cute kid is a cute kid. Excellent.
Speaking of how to treat children who are different: Msgr. Charles Pope writes a humble and lovely account of how a glimpse at a mother’s love for her brain-damaged son made him repent of his cruelty toward the boy. The memory reminds him to challenge us:
Why not ask for the gift to see something of God’s love for others? I don’t suppose we could take a large dose of it, all at once, for surely we could not stop weeping for our sins. Perhaps even to ask that our eyes be gradually opened to the tender love of God for everyone around us, is best. And surely, even in this gradual way, we will begin to experience the gift of tears, and capacity to weep for our sins of indifference, of hardness, of inconsideration. And also, to experience joyful weeping in how delighted God is over our acts of kindness and consideration.
Speaking of acts of kindness and consideration: it’s never to early to start preparing for Cheer Up Keanu Day. All right, so this story is a year and a half old, but still, aren’t you glad to know that people care, even if it’s only about Keanu Reeves?
Speaking of cheering people up, it never fails to give me a lift when smart technology bites people in the butt, even when it’s my butt that gets bitten (like when I failed to edit my Facebook status before posting, and accidentally wished everyone a “Merry Christmas Eve Tushnet”). There are whole websites dedicated to collecting the craziness that ensues when autocorrect gets a little too helpful (but I won’t link to them, having reached, because of the election, my monthly quota of behavior unbecoming of a Catholic). My own voicemail system automatically transcribes messages and sends them to my inbox, so when I get home, I am informed that my Aunt Mary called to tell me: “She I am look in and would you believe her mother was Jewish a month ago.” Well, I guess I’d believe it, if Vonage says so. Also, the dentist checked in “to remind some chop of her appointment tomorrow.”
So yes, I will be legally changing my name to “Some Chop,” right after the courts clear the dockets after dealing with Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop.
Speaking of wonderful technology, here’s a pretty, pretty toy called ToneMatrix, made by Andre Michelle. Check it out, if you don’t mind losing the whole afternoon to playtime.
Speaking of wonderful: the magnificent story of Claude Newman. I especially liked the icon, “Mary the Teacher.” She looks like she’s saying, “Ohh, I’ve got something wonderful to tell you! Don’t you want to know what it is?” The other thing I liked is the reminder that every single soul matters, and every soul is worth saving. Check out the story, and see how Mary is willing to go to a lot of trouble for two of her sons!
Speaking of mothers and children: Babies, babies, babies. Aren’t they nice? Not just mine, although she is the cutiest wootiest widdle piece of pumpkin pie ever to be named after an 84-year-old German pope. Here are a couple who, like mine, don’t seem to mind cooperating with their mama’s schedules: This
newborn snuggles while her mom, an Italian Member of the European Parliament, votes; and this little one gets a quick meal from her mother, a skater with the Anarchy Angels Roller Derby Team. No matter what you think about working moms, a mother tenderly caring for her child is always a lovely sight to see.
And one final thing to be happy about: Today is the New Hampshire primary. This is good news like when the midwife tells you, “Well, you’re at 7 centimeters!” Husbands, ask your wives. It’s not that it feels good—it’s just that, when you’ve reached this stage, at least you know it can’t go on much longer.
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“but I won’t link to them, having reached, because of the election, my monthly quota of behavior unbecoming of a Catholic.” You still have two-thirds of the month to go. Anyways, I haven’t reached my quota of un-Catholic behavior for the month, mostly because I have not shared my essay about Romney and Obama containing references to The Silence of the Lambs, Blazing Saddles, and Monty Python, so here’s one of the links:
http://damnyouautocorrect.com/
Good luck with not going over your monthly quota. Since I’m 3rd trimester, my quota is rather high, mostly reserved for my road rage, but the primary will use quite a bit and I might have to restrain myself from complaining about pregnancy once or twice.
But thank you for linking to Msgr. Pope’s post. It’s good to have a reason to cry since I walk around on the brink of it anyway.
After reading Msgr. Pope’s amazing essay (and with it flashbacks of my own sins in this area as well as being the receipt of such ridicule at times), I thought of our own Mother, the Church.
How many times is she picked on, called names and ridiculed because of the flaws (and yes, very serious sins) of some of her members. I’m not dismissing that painful reality at all.
But, we also have wonderful people like Msgr. Pope (and thousand upon thousand of others) who give a clear witness to what the Church (and us) are called to be. Next time, a family member, friend or co-worker rants about “the Church” I will ask for the courage to stand up and defend her. Not excusing the bad behavior of some but focusing rather on the wonderful witness and work of so many, too many others like Msgr. Pope.
Thanks for the link!
Awww, gee wiz Mrs. F… You don’t think Rick Santorum would be a good president?
“I voted today. It felt kind of like giving blood, except without the sensation that I just helped somebody.”
And that’s my favorite quote of the year. Granted the year has just started, but still, thank you for that !
Anyway, I offer you my most sincere sympathy.
Italian mothers are wonderful.
Question: what is a Hebrew Catholic?
The polling place in my little town has cookies every election. Thank God for little old ladies!
Totally awesome links, especially the redundant one. I bookmarked that mystics page and I’m going to ask Claude to help me be…well, if not enthusiastic, then at least accepting of death. I love him in that icon; he seems so casual, as if to say, “S’up? Just hanging with the Lady. You should totally hang with us, too.”
The link that Evan gave is pure pornograpny. Does anyone ever check the links before publishing them?
Less than 24 hours after Alabama winning another national championship, not even the primary season can give me the blues! :-)
Actually, there are some absolutely hilarious auto corrects on that site. Seems as those the few in the lead right now are pretty awful. Sort of sets a bad tone I’d say and discourages you from reading on. So if today were the first I’d ever looked at it ... I’d agree with Flamen. Loved your post Some Chop.
In the earliest days of Sesame Street (and I was almost too old to watch it then), they had kids with Downs on the show. My mother was shocked because she thought that was just exploiting a handicapped child for the amusement of others.
Loved the post, and I just had to give a shout-out to say that my long-lost cousin the Benedictine monk wrote that icon of Claude Newman! When I was about to become Catholic my atheist dad’s Protestant relatives told me—to my profound shock—that we were related to a monk. I’ve been in close touch with him ever since. One of our first email exchanges was about Claude Newman and that icon. Just a bit of family trivia to start your day.
I absolutely loved the story about the miraculous conversion of Claude Newman…I shed a tear when I read it! thanks for sharing!
Joseph Johnson
Thanks, Kristine. When I posted that link, the first page was mostly clean and I re-emphasized Simcha’s warning. I also originally got the link from Simcha’s blog.
I laughed until I cried. Now I feel dirty.
I can’t get over how FB now says, “Some Chop” added a new link. Love it.
I don’t know I’ll even be able to vote when the traveling circus that is the election comes to WI.
Unbecoming of a Catholic. Love it.
Oh, and that picture of the babywearing mama on FB was amazing - although, if I tried to take one of my babies to some sort of government vote (in the pic it looks as though she is raising her hand to vote or speak) my kids would have a blow out and I’d fling some poop or something. Sigh…..
www.fallingupwardholly.blogspot.com
My husband, Jim, asked me (on the evening you posted here) to thank you very, very much for the Claude Newman story. I am just getting around to it. Has it been 3 days..? Ug. Maybe I’m pregnant again. Can’t remember jack. Oh, well. Thank you for the amazing story, Simcha! It was BEAUTIFUL! <3
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