This post is not intended to call out one particular person or party, rather to highlight the growing trend of persons in authority who react with behaviors more consistent with childhood playground antics than true adult leadership. Yes, I lean politically one way and observe much more disjointed “leaderships” style from the “other side” but today I am speaking in generalities.

As a child, I was bullied, picked on and left out. A LOT. This statement is not for the purpose of sympathy but rather the framework for which I grew to see the world. While we can anticipate with some level of accuracy not ALL children will be kind, naively when I was in the midst of all of it I "assumed” if the “grown ups” knew, it would stop.

Flash back to 4th grade recess…I remember vividly being kicked and teased and called names by a group of girls on the playground. When I looked around for help, I saw one of the “recess helpers” and pleaded for her to help me. While she DID see me, she stood and did NOTHING! NOTHING! I quickly realized that day: not all grown ups are kind, not all grown ups are there to help you, and some go above and beyond to protect their own interests. It was crushing. Even today, it makes my heart hurt.

In this case…the interest was her daughter. Imagine, seeing your daughter kicking & yelling & calling another girl (by the way I was the new kid in the school….. so hey, welcome to our school, right?) names and doing NOTHING! All the years later, it is still a little unsettling.

As children, many of us are taught while children can behave in sometimes cruel, erratic, and immature ways, adults are there to help guide and nurture us. Recent events are such a great illustration of the void, WHERE IS THAT GUIDING AND NURTURING our country so desperately needs? Where are our leaders standing up for the atrocities in our world and assuring its people it will not be tolerated?

I am drawn back to that day, when I was being pretty severely bullied, and crying for help and given the very clear message that I didn’t matter enough to intervene. My personal safety and well being were not a priority and necessity. Is that what, on a much larger scale, persons of color have been feeling all these years, only day after day, week after week, year after year, decade after decade? We saw in real time George Floyd crying out literally and figuratively for help, and the other officers stood (literally ON HIM) and did NOTHING!

Name Calling.

Refusing to even bring bills in front of the Senate because you have the power to do so.

Threatening to pull funding from states because you don’t like “that woman from Michigan”

Saying there are “good people” on both sides when one of the sides HATES people based on the color of their skin.

Inciting violence.

Ignoring violence.

Encouraging violence.

Is this the county we all thought we’d be living in 2020?

We are in the middle of a pandemic. (Dear God I hope it’s the middle and not just the START!). We have massive loss of jobs and financial stability. And now…massive (in my humble opinion very NEEDED & JUSTIFIED) protests against police brutality and racism. Don’t even get me started on the murder hornets or potential asteroid that are perhaps heading our way! We NEED leadership. WE NEED those in power to act like ADULTS and LEAD. With compassion. With intellect. With reason. With respect.

Years ago when I was struggling with a former boss & a toxic work environment, I went to my Dad for advice. My Dad is not only one of my absolute favorite people on the planet, he is has also the been font on wisdom & reason many times in my life. I explained the situation to him, and his response was simple, and poignant. He said “In my career, I have had many bosses. Some I really liked. Some I did not. That was irrelevant. I could work for someone I didn’t like, but someone I didn’t respect, I could not. You need to decide which one it is for you.” I put in my resignation within the week.

We don't have to like all our leaders. They don’t have to like each other, but are some of them missing the memo to be kind to one another? To lead with authority, not authoritarianism. To guide with wisdom, not threats. To show up when it’s HARD, and not just because it’s the political thing to do?

In November, we still have the right in this country to SHOW UP TO THE POLLS and vote in someone who can LEAD us into the what I hope is brighter, lighter, more hopeful days. Choose wisely my friends, as I can attest, there are few things in life that make one feel more helpless than seeing others around you who are “supposed” to help…Do NOTHING!

Peace……