Dear Mr. President

Dear Mr. President,

A short letter from me tonight, as I got a chance to spend the day playing a game with my beloved.  It's called 7th Continent, and we're only on our second curse, but we managed to survive it this evening after a few days spent downstairs at the kitchen table on non-successive evenings.  There is something to be said for being able to finish a project, and while 7th Continent is a game, John and I still needed to work together to make sure we both made it to the end.

I love that about cooperative games, and I have decided that these are generally my favorite ones to play.  Not only do they keep us both honest, but we also have to work together to garner success in a thing.  It's easier in some ways than competitive game play, but when you have to ensure that everyone succeeds at a task, it can be a real challenge.  I expect, running a country, you have some idea of what I'm talking about.

This past week seemed like it wasn't easy for you--bombing Syrian targets (which I can't say I'm a fan of,) dealing with world leaders, trying to ensure your nominees have the support they need so that you can get your Cabinet up and running (while the Republicans have decided to give up on the idea of unity altogether,) and that's not counting the various reports that you're having to take in and decide appropriate responses to, as well.  I feel like this has probably been your most challenging week thus far--not so much on the pandemic front (though legislation delays are frustrating,) but rather on every other front that's out there.

You've done a lot to reverse the policies of your predecessor, but now comes the part where you have to rebuild trust with our allies and re-establish America's credibility--not only to the world, but to the people here at home, as well.  And I feel like you've had middling success at that.  The three major points I took away from this week (apart from the COVID conferences your teams have had,) are the bombing of targets in Syria (which I will confess I don't understand all that well;) the report regarding Khashoggi's murder, and your latest hike for carbon taxes--which, again, I can't say I really understand.  Are they mostly for businesses?  Polluters?  Everyone?

Needless to say, I haven't been keeping up on much of anything this week--at least not in any truly meaningful way.  I know a lot is going on, but life has been hitting me pretty hard the past week.  I'm working on trying to return to college for a degree while struggling to maintain my exercise regimen.  This week in that last regard has been really difficult.  I've also been preparing for the beginning of a new month tomorrow and planning out what I'd like to highlight next here on my blog.

And all the while, I've been really learning a lot during this Black History Month.  I feel like my own views have expanded with regard to the plight of black people, and also that my views have been made more clear just by studying their poets and poetry.  I read about a lot of things that aren't covered in history books and examined a great deal of my past.  And I'm starting to really get a feel for the things that really matter to me.  And that's kept me pretty busy.

All that to say that I can't imagine how much busier and how much more demanding this month has been on you and your team there in Washington D. C.  I'm glad you took some time to honor black voices  this past week, and I hope that you'll continue to do so, even as Black History Month ends.  Showing how diverse and how culturally expansive we are as a country--showing how we can come together for a common good, is worth seeing and celebrating.  After all,

"This land was made for you and me!"

I didn't get a chance to see your wife this past week; so, I'll see if I can find a recording and watch it sometime this week.  I figure it wasn't anything too exciting since I haven't seen any of the right-wing media covering it.  But if it was good, they might not have wanted to cover it.  And since I haven't heard anything,...well, now I'm left to wonder.

Good luck with the next few weeks, Mr. President.  Hopefully that next wave of stimulus will go through, and with the case load numbers dropping, hopefully we'll come out on the other side of March with the fewest COVID-19 deaths since the March shutdown of 2020 began.  We can certainly hope.

I'm glad to see that there are conversations happening with regard to getting kids back to school, but having official guidance there will help out a lot--as well as federal funding for schools to apply for to be able to make those accommodations.  I read an article on Medium at One-Zero, as well, where a young teenager was discussing how much he preferred being able to take online classes.  These are things I think we really should explore, and having those kinds of options available to parents, kids, and teachers will be really helpful moving forward.

I don't want to keep harping on infrastructure, but we need a New Deal for a Greener America, Sir.  These projects need to be happening, and we need to start investing in recycling and desalinization.  Diversifying our power resources and working to build a stronger communications and electric grid are crucial.  And we need to start thinking about logistics--getting supplies and materials where they're needed in a timely manner when failures do occur.  But I said I wasn't going to go on and on about it; so, I'll leave it there for tonight.

My grandma's birthday was today.  She turned...90-something.  I wish I knew the exact number, but I don't.  I hope you have some time to celebrate the people in your life who are important to you, though, Sir.  We just celebrated John's aunt's birthday on Friday, too.  Found out today that my step-brother's daughter's birthday was yesterday.  She turned 7.

Anyway, it's late, and I'm tired.  And if I don't get this posted, it'll be late, and we certainly can't have that.  So, I guess just hang in there, Mr. President.  March is going to tell us how we're doing, and we'll figure out the way forward from there.

Until next time, keep doing the best you can, and I'll keep doing the same.

~~Jenni