What's that?

 Here I am again, lost in the feeling of being left behind by my government. 

This may be an oversimplification but come along with me anyway.

Politically this province is at a significant crossroads. We are stuck between the more rural areas and the urban areas. There are different morals and values. We are stuck between age groups. Everyone needs to feel represented. I have rarely felt represented in this province. I think many people of my age group feel the same way. Our political climate feels very much like an uncomfortable Christmas dinner at your Grandmother's house. 

Your racist uncle is in the corner yelling something about immigration, your drunk aunt is getting a little handsy and dancy. You are keeping your eyes down so as not to encourage anyone in the room and then your grandfather drops some slur as though the times have never changed. Kenbabe (Kenney) is that cousin who gets there last, leaves early, and takes the best leftovers. He stokes up your uncle and laughs at what your grandfather says. The bottom line is he doesn't care about anyone there. He is only there to get his presents and leave, and those presents better all be cash.

He is only worried about appeasing his "base". I know that we need to live with this virus. I know that at some point we will need to change the restrictions. Should we really be doing it in response to some angry white people having a temper tantrum? I won't even get into the talk about the American dollars and professional protesters that may be helping to stoke things up in Ottawa, yet. I don't think that time for relaxing the protocols should be when hospital admissions, ICU admission, and deaths are still increasing. 

When I spoke to my daughter about the changes, she said that she still wants to wear a mask. There is a kid in her class that has a disease that confines him to a wheelchair and comes with a myriad of health concerns. She is wearing her mask so that he can stay in class with his friends. The masks don't bother her, they make her feel safe. I am worried that when they become an option she will be met with judgment and anger. That is the part I don't get. If you are telling me that you won't get the shot, or wear a mask because it messes with your body autonomy, super. But then don't turn to me with anger when I am exercising my choice. 

We need to realize that these convoys are not about the mandates. They are not about freedom. These are white people who have never been told no and are reacting like children. These people have never had consequences. Letting them tell us what we can and cannot do is setting a dangerous precedent. Letting them think they have power is going to cause a lot of damage down the road. It's also showing who really matters in our current society and I hate. The next time Indigenous people protest about the lack of clean drinking water or a BLM protest occurs, I want you to look at the reaction of the police and politicians. And I want you to really think about how that makes you feel. 

When I am angry, I get in my car or sit in my house, alone. I turn on music (loudly) I sing at the top of my lungs and I am calmed. Lately, there has been more of this as I lose confidence in the systems of government that are supposed to keep me safe. 

There isn't one type of music I listen to, it's not angry music where you feel like you are being yelled at. I put my playlist on shuffle and let it go. One of the songs that can usually break the darkest of angry moods is Cornbread and Butterbeans by Carolina Chocolate Drops.

It is a cover of a song that was originally written and released in 1947 by Johnny Tyler and The Riders of the Rio Grande. 

I wasn't able to find much on the song, but let me share one thing about one of the singers of the band. Rhiannon Giddens, who also plays a few different instruments for the band, is someone that you should look into if you are a fan of music.