Your Dying Spouse 222 - A Question Of Character {FMF}

We're back with Five Minute Friday, the keyword-driven timed writing challenge hosted by Kate Motaung

This week the word is PARK.

One of the hardest things about being 'parked' far closer to the end than the beginning is the inevitable 'taking stock' of one's life. While I try to be a Zen master and live in the moment, it's not always possible, and my failings come back to haunt me in the words of others, and in my dreams.

There won't be much chance for movement now; there won't be the opportunity to use the correction fluid of time and energy to make things right, to rehabilitate my image.

There are a lot of failings, and some are quite serious. You know of a few; I may use this forum to describe others, for the help the example they may give to someone else.

But now, with the US presidential election less than three weeks off, I'll be topical.

I've had to own up to my own mistakes. First to myself, and second to others who were affected. It hasn't been a pleasant process, and has changed me. A lot of self-image has gone by the wayside, and I can't make things right and rise again.

One of the major candidates this year also has the problem of a less-that-stellar career, and has chosen another path.

Hillary Clinton is evading that to which she should own up. She claims thirty years of 'service'; she owes us something more than we've been given.

• Mrs. Clinton, working as a lawyer, plea-bargained a child rapist down to little more than time served before the trial...and laughed about it in an interview.
• She claimed that no Americans died on her watch in Libya, which is simply not true. Ask the families of Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Dougherty, and Tyrone Woods.
• In mishandling classified emails that put Americans and our allies at risk, Mrs. CLinton first said 'everybody did it' (meaning former Secretaries of State. Then she blamed Colin Powell directly. And then she blamed her staff.  The closest she's come to an admission of fault is saying it was a mistake and she wouldn't do it again.
• And in the damning Wikileaks-released emails, she seems more put out by the fact that she was caught rather than embarrassed over the revealed improprieties like collusion with the Justice Department and 'pay-for-play' while Secretary of State.

I suppose there are more, but that's enough for me. Entrusting the future of the country to someone who's never wrong, never responsible, is something I just can't stomach. I have to face the demons of my past, and sometimes face them publicly, and I think I have the right to ask my highest temporal representative to do the same.

Donald Trump is not the best candidate we've ever seen; far from it. But he's shown a willingness to say, "I was wrong, and I'm sorry." He's said that he's learned and grown.

It really is a two-party race. While the Libertarian Gary Johnson is attractive, he can't win. (and Jill Stein of the Green Party is even further out). A vote for Johnson is a de facto vote for Clinton, and I'm not going to do that.

And that's why my vote will go to Donald Trump.

Much to my surprise, I decided to participate in a '31 Days' blogging exercise; rather than interrupt the flow of this post, I have another blog established, "Starting The Day With Grace". The focus is a grace quote from someone you might not expect (like, say Malcolm X) and a short commentary. I hope you'll join me.

Marley update...he's received a lot of support, but STILL NEEDS HELP TO BE SAVED.

WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

He's up to nearly 200,000 signatures, but the local authorities are dragging their feet. They think that we'll give up and go away. We won't.

If you have a mment, I'd like to ask you to visit Change.org to consider a petition to free a 'death row dog' who has been separated from his family for ten months over a misunderstanding. Marley was saved from Afghanistan by a US serviceman; please help make sure this story doesn't end in needless tragedy! Marley's gotten a lot of support...but he still needs our help.

If you can, please do leave a comment. I am trying to answer all, and I am failing, but please know this - I read and treasure each one.

Below are my recent releases on Kindle -please excuse their presence in the body of the blog. I haven't the energy to get them up as 'buttons' in the sidebar. You can click on the covers to go to the Amazon links.