Persephone swims

Maybe jealousy is the wrong word, conjuring up visions of a sweating scientist in the basement plotting some sort of revenge. And envy, too, misses the mark entirely - it's too childish; a ten year old, hands slapping floor, demanding more.

And jealousy implies almost a certain amount of assumed or presumed ownership/interest/control.

And envy tells the world you have nothing worth sharing.

Neither of these words works too well. Because it's not anger, it's not wanton, it's not wishing for anything different - not really.

It is just a shift, a new reality. We face them all of the time. We view the world differently today than we did yesterday. We try to. It can't always be the same and we hope we can be as good as we want to be as we march ahead toward what we think we know we want.

Maybe it's a little melancholy or sentimental. Perhaps it's a hint of longing for one of those road trips, one of the meals we ate but can't remember exactly where, one of the nights we never made it to bed.

It's not sadness or regret. There aren't days laying in the dark. It's not a self-loathing look in the mirror - "What happened to me?" - nothing so vehemently opposed to tomorrow.

It's just a second here and there, scattered without design across our days. It's unplanned but not unwelcome. It's unpredictable and not at all a burden. It's hoping it can show you something maybe you might have missed. It's hoping you don't dwell on it at all if you don't see it right away.

It isn't pushing an agenda. It's not concerned with making you feel bad. It's not interested in seeing you hurt.

It's lifting you up. It's holding you in place. It's a gentle touch in the morning letting you know it's time to wake up.

Mr. Gorbachev, rebuild that wall

Borders have always amazed me. At some point in time some cabal decides that certain areas belong to them and no one else. Maps are drawn, laws are passed, nationalism ensues. It's a great system that has been used for centuries to inspire, unite, and incite.

And now with the growing debate over immigration in the United States, my fascination with borders is reinforced almost daily. I was at a rally this past weekend for fair and comprehensive immigration reform. I wanted to show support of the hard working Latino families who have made the dangerous journey to improve their futures, and who have along the way also helped the economies of many small Iowa communities that otherwise would have disappeared.

Of course there were counter-protesters displaying their heartfelt gratitude as well. Okay, maybe not gratitude, it was more along the lines of fear and hatred. I was impressed. My favorite quote from this group was in the Des Moines Register the following day. One of the angry white guys told the reporter, "I guess I'm the kind of guy who likes regular Americans." Regular Americans? What the hell is that? White guys? Really? Americans are mutts. Hasn't he seen Stripes? We are a blend or thieves, tax exiles, and slaves; Germans, Dutch, Ethiopians, Sudanese, Mexicans, Colombians, Russians, Pakistani, etc. etc. etc. Regular Americans? Do you suppose he meant Lakota? Ojibwa? Seneca? Wyandot? I'm just so confused.

And it's all because of these borders. Who decided where Mexico begins and the US ends? Wasn't Texas originally a part of Mexico? Is it too late to give it back? Sorry, wrong posting.

But really, why do we never discuss these things? Other than the fact that most Americans (and I mean "regular Americans,") know as much about geography as the Marquis de Sade knew about post-coital cuddling. But we cannot have a true discourse on immigration without first having conversations about borders, free trade (NAFTA), and the true hierarchy of greed that has a vested interest in dividing the people of the world.

As nice as it is for some "regular Americans" to be able to divide all things clearly along race lines, it does little to serve the needs of everyday Americans. We only serve the greedheads and political cabals when we goose step along to their songs of borders and hatred.