Mid-term Election Day felt a little bit different this year. It felt different not just because of the ground swell of support for the Democrats, but it was the first mid-terms I voted for in all of my near twenty years of being an eligible voter.

I have talked about this in the past. I was not always a voter, nor was I always a Democratic voter. My father was and is one of the many boomers who listened to Rush Limbaugh and watched Fox News. He was never one to push his ideas on me or force me to be anything in the arena of politics. He just answered my questions as best as he could. Which did involve the hemming and hawing that came from conservatives in the oughts. “We have to go to Iraq to prove a point.” “Global Warming is a religion for atheists”.

My peak interest was always comedy. So of course many of my influences were left leaning, nihilist, or “I don’t know what the big deal with this is.” I loved the daily show, with my limited grasp on politics I would watch the opening seven minutes eating up all the punches thrown at the government.

As I reached college, I didn’t care for politics, I was more concerned about getting laid than anything else (I have and still do it very poorly) and cracking jokes with friends.

After college I fell in love with drinking. All of these I can talk to at length in another post so I won’t bore you with any of that Maudlin bull shit.

Flash foreward to the pandemic, and watching people bully the people who actually cared. It made me angry. Calling people who wanted to follow protocols sheep while making the problem worse. Calling healthcare workers liars. It was too much for me. It changed my outlook on my fellow humans.

I always thought roadkill was something that couldn’t be avoided by the driver. It was mostly an accident. Since the Pandemic, I am sure that number is less. Seeing the way people treated others, I know that most of that roadkill is caused by the driver speeding up.

And now my mother is dead, and now I’m facing an idealogical war in my head. Against covid deniers and against vaccine skeptics. I do blame them for my mother’s death. They made it possible for covid to be worse than it is.

As I listened to Freddie Gibbs Still Livin’ I went and voted democrat in Iowa. And I know it’s like throwing a stone at a tank, it’s a start for me.

Anyway, talk to you later

While the coffee is percolating I sit here belly full of last nights wine and pizza.

Sober Minds shake their fists at the Drunk God that came before

Why must he torment the day risers through the night layers ribaldry

Stop It Old Man, the coffee is almost done.

As the summer heats up. As politics heats up. As Scrump heats up. As Conditions continue to deteriorate. One Man in Americana has all the answers. A man, who has been trying to find wisdom in the bottom of every box of wine made in the last ten years. Staring at his reflection at the bottom of every bottle. He has been meditating on a bed of beer bottles, And has only one conclusion to make. Move forward.

I’ve known alcohol isn’t the answer since 2013 and now that i’ve waken up nearly ten years later. It is time to get back to the old Eliott. Bring him back. He’s Looking around, staring at his reflection. What has this man does to you? Fed you wine and pizza? Pushed away the most well meaning people you have ever met? A lot of work to do.

It sounds like I’m losing my mind. I’m not. I’m slowly getting it back. I’m rusty at writing, at podcasting, at daydreaming. I’ve been staring around me. Like a main character in a battle watching other people around him fall in slow motion. I’ve seen people’s chickens coming home to roost. I see people losing their minds and losing their health. I’m taking this as a personal warning for myself. My comeuppance is not far behind. I guess I’m not ready to die just yet. There is still a little world and freedom left. Let me work forward and utilize it.

Also, I can’t afford insulin, are you crazy?

More to come.