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Brainwashing
“We’re going to brainwash you,” is what mom and dad said. Actually dad said it, and mom corrected him, “We are going to teach you ‘truths’.” Mom and dad are like that, they say the same thing but differently! Though mom believes there is no one truth, while dad would rather not go down that road.
They have been using my morning feeds as an opportunity to read books about liberation theology, Jewish liberation theology, the dangers of Donald Trump, lots of myths about Israel, Moral Mondays and more. Mom makes dad read the books out loud cause she has to focus on me and I have to focus on her. This leaves dad without much to do.
It’s got to all be Palestinian propaganda, intended to brainwash me before I get a chance to figure out things on my own; before I grow up and become a major figure in the Canadian Jewish Establishment, like say, one of the current fundraisers for Trudeau’s Liberal Party. Then I can raise money for the ruling party who will then vote at the UN to ignore international law by abstaining. It’s called selective morality, if the word morality can be used!
Or maybe I will be like the guy at York University who withheld support from the university because he didn’t like a mural of a man confronting an Israeli tank with a stone. Apparently he thought it was pure hate. Again, like Trudeau, an example of being selective. Was it he man hating the tank, the tank hating the man or the donor hating the artist because he dared to portray the truth? Or is this just a case of many truths?
OK, I am kidding. I may end up not agreeing entirely with mom and dad and I am sure I will never be rich. Mom and dad don’t know how to save and dad is too old to start now. l will always opt to be a Jew of Conscience which pretty much rules out being a member of the establishment, unless of course, we convince the establishment that they, as my cousin would say, “are just wrong”.
I stand
When Trudeau’s government took the cowardly route and abstained from standing up for international law, a friend of dad’s, said, “They (the Israelis) can build facts on the ground but it is shifting beneath their feet.”
This pretty much sums up what happened to me. I stood up. I am not sure if my timing was a coincidence or not, but I stood up and now I never want to sit. I wake up standing now. In the beginning it felt like there was a lot of shifting under my feet but no more. Mr. Trudeau I put you on notice, I stand strong now. This is one Jew (plus parents and their friends) who will remember your cowardly vote.
Cold turkey
Enough about Israel. I want to turn to a life affirming story by answering the following question. How does a grandfather who drank lots before giving up cold turkey and remain sober, without so much as a drop for the last twenty years of his life? Herein is the answer.
When dad asked his friend if he drank, his friend said, “No.”
“Why not?” dad asked. Dad doesn’t drink either and thinks everyone who doesn’t drink must have a story. He certainly does but that is for another day, maybe!
And his friend had a story too. When he was eight, he and his father visited his grandfather’s house. The grandfather was in the corner on the floor in a heap. He looked like he was asleep. There was liquid dripping from his mouth; his legs were spread in front of him and his pants were all wet.
“What’s wrong with grandfather?” dad’s friend asked.
“He is drunk.” his dad replied.
“What is drunk?”
“When you drink a lot of beer.”
“Why do people drink beer?”
“It makes them feel good and they have fun.”
Dad’s friend couldn’t see how his grandfather was having fun and he certainly didn’t look like he was feeling good. Not long after this encounter, his grandfather stopped drinking.
Many years later, dad’s friend asked his grandfather why he had stopped drinking. The grandfather replied, “Because of you.”
“Why because of me?” dad’s friend asked.
The grandfather recalled the day he had quietly slipped into the house of the party for the grandmother. He looked into the room where all the children were playing. He watched dad’s friend staggering about saying, “look, I am granddad.” and grabbing his crotch, “look, I peed myself.” All the children laughed as dad’s friend imitated his grandfather.
“And I was very sad.” said the grandfather. “I was sad to see that this is how you saw me and how all my grandchildren saw me. I did not want to be seen by you like this. I stopped drinking on that day.”
Dad’s friend was happy that he had been the cause of his grandfather not drinking anymore. They spent many years together before his grandfather finally died of old age.
Diaper rash
Probably way to much information here, but I got myself a big diaper rash. It appears to be the result of having five bowel movements (mom says that’s the polite way to describe it) in one day. Imagine! Now I try to space them out. Dad calls it getting regular. Whatever that means!
Finally . . .
My apologies for the delay in getting this out, but lots has been happening. We’ve been traveling most of the month of December. I thought today, being December 31, would be a good time to wish everyone a happy new year. I will write all about my travels, my tia’s wedding, Hanukkah, Christmas, and new years soon.
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