Why I’m to blame for the government shutdown

On January 18, 2019, the New York Times ran an article about my hometown of Kodiak, Alaska called A Small Alaska Town Reels As the Coast Guard Weathers on Without Pay. We do what islanders do. Deliver pizza, fruit, and milk to the pop-up food bank on the Coast Guard base. Extend discounts to Coast Guard personnel at retail stores and restaurants.

Whose fault is the shutdown anyway?

It’s mine. I take responsibility for this pickle we’re in.

Why do I say that?

Here’s my thinking…

If you believe that thoughts are things, then I contributed to this stalemate each time I didn’t vote.

And when I viewed a politician with an internal sneer? I added to the problem.

I’m sorry for the time I didn’t act on a nudging to make soup for a neighbor whose husband struggles with palsy.

I apologize for birthing negative thoughts into the ether each time I recoiled in fear during a news broadcast.

I’m sorry for not mailing that thank-you note to my cousin.

I promise to be more vigilant of my thoughts.

Which means, instead of beating myself up with “If only,” I will gently and willfully think, “Next time…”

I will try my best to replace selfishness and preservation of the little self with kindness, understanding, and desire for connection to the bigger Self.

How would it be
if just for today
we thought less about contests and rivalries,
profits and politics,
winners and sinners,
and more about
helping and giving,
mending and blending,
reaching out
and pitching in?

How would it be?

— Anonymous

With love,

PS What are your thoughts about the government shutdown? For that matter, is peace on earth possible?

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Marion Owen is a “Jill of all trades,” with 30 years of experience as a teacher and columnist. She’s on a mission to help busy people enhance their daily lives, condensing topics such as photography, cooking, and organic gardening into bite-size pieces.  Get her free 4-page “In Good Light: Photo Tips for Busy People” and feel newly recharged when taking pictures.