Where the Rubber Meets the... Rubber Chicken. A Hope, A Rant and Some Bullsh*t

Being a sane, logical human isn't very easy on most days in Arizona.

Much of what I do, both for a living and for my soul, is centered around sustainability. I've been in this state for 15 years now, and plan to be here for at minimum another 10 to get the youngest chick through school. I've built my life here, my business here; it's the only home my children have known.

Because of my tenacity to make positive change, I've found myself becoming more and more immersed in politics over the past 10+ years. In Arizona, it's where the rubber meets the... rubber chicken I guess. You find yourself muttering

"Is this a f***ing joke?!?!"

Knowing full well it isn't.

Politics here, like most places, are kind of dirty and slippery. Slippery in an oil spill kind of way. When I venture down to our state capitol, I leave feeling like I need a good loofah scrubbing and a few shots of whiskey. I do good community deeds to cleanse my being and try to make some weird amends for all of those in power who I fear lack any sort of human decency at all.

It's pretty weird...

Thankfully I do know politicians and plenty of activists who are truly fighting the good fight, but God damn it feels like we're the minority on most days!!!

My token word has become bullshit instead of something sweet and sugary, and I say things like:

"Do you really want to talk about being a minority on City Council? If so, minority is owning a vagina."

I say those things - and I'm writing them here. Because I mean it and because after being here for 15 years, my gray hair has started to come in faster than I can slap some color on it without fear of it falling out in clumps. I've earned every one and am wearing my big girl panties so can say bullshit if I want to.

When I talk about sustainability I'm using it in a big picture sort of way, not just pushing you to use no VOC paint (though that's important too).

• I'm talking about social and civil justice and education and women's rights.
• I'm talking about preserving what little history we have here.
• I'm talking about not approving more and more unnecessary parking lots when you know we have a major urban heat island problem.
• I'm talking about giving the low income neighborhoods the same love and respect you'd give the rich ones by not knowingly dumping pollution into their air, soil and water.
• I'm talking about having respect for the Native tribes who were here before us living in harmony with nature.
• I'm talking about the fact that "perceived haze" is made up of microscopic particulates (usually less than 2.5 microns in size) that are dangerous to health so go open up a frickin' science book or make friends with a real scientist before opening your mouth and pretending to have a clue what you're talking about.
• I'm talking about conservation and stewardship and being a good human being.
• I'm talking about helping our neighbors and those less fortunate.

All of the above is tied into politics in one way or another. Hence my rant here tonight.

All we can do is try our hardest while we're on this planet for our brief blip. And hope that others will try too.

"Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so." — Noam Chomsky