Rudely Gesturing Squirrels

I had written this post before the latest terror attack in the UK happened, so I wanted to point out that the whimsical tone isn't exactly syncing with my mood at the moment. To be honest, I don't know if I'm angry or sad. I'd hope it is the latter, but it is difficult as a parent to once again watch young people out living their lives being targeted for violence. I don't know why it makes a difference-murder is murder, but it seems so much crueler directed at people just starting out. I want to try and understand how hopelessness turns to murder, but I can't. I do know it isn't something inherent in an ethnicity, religion, or economic status that persuades people  to carry out these acts-and that's terrifying. We want simple explanations of the sort we get from politicians (which have become all that much simpler in both senses of the word thanks to the limitations of Twitter) so we can be reassured these actions are the behaviour of a cultural and ideological Other, when we know damn well it isn't. I don't know how you reach people that feel so ostracised from society that they're willing to go out in a hail of bullets whether in a high school, a nightclub, a church, an airport, or a concert. I certainly don't know, and based on what I'm reading today, no one else does either. I'd be wary of anyone claiming they do. 

So yes I'm sad, and probably angrier than I'd like to be as I'm trying like everyone else to process the world we're living in. I just finished teaching a unit on 20th Century Tyranny, so it isn't as though I'm blind to the horrors human beings are capable of inflicting on others. No, history is choc-full of people behaving horribly, and I've always been struck by how easy it is to persuade people they were in the right. Perhaps that's our greatest flaw as human beings that we are so susceptible to manipulation and so prone to elective, collective amnesia that we're willing to do it over and over again. We're painfully slow learners. The internet was supposed to bring us all together, but I guess that didn't go to plan. 

Anyway, you don't come here looking for profound insights and that's a good thing too as I don't have any. I'm better at listening, and that's what I've been doing and will continue to do because you learn more when you shut up. I'm no diplomat, but I'm pretty sure you don't make peace by name calling and threats of more violence. If you want people to behave humanely, then you'd best lead by example. If our leaders aren't up to the job, we'll have to do it ourselves. You learned it before you could read, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We might as well give it a try since nothing else seems to be working. 

I'll now return you to the original post.

Yeah I know they only have four fingers but that's clearly an, "Up yours."

I know my squirrels wouldn't behave like that as they're trained and hand fed biscuits. The Blondin family now includes three new babies that have been cautiously approaching me for their treats. I'm a godmother! To celebrate, I went ahead and bought the Irregular Choice Nibbles McNutty shoes, but they didn't really match this outfit, so that's another post.

Outfit Particulars:
Vintage Mexican top-Etsy
Shorts-K Mart
Flip-Flops-Hand-Me-Ups
Mexican cross-body bag-Thrift World
Vintage Laurel Burch earrings-had 'em since the 80's
Fragrance-Bat Sheba by Judith Muller
Rings-Mum's
Cazal frames-Mum's

 I've found some interesting items in the thrifts lately.

 This Coventry brooch is rather beat-up, but at .98 cents I couldn't leave it.

 This bangle and brooch were also .98 cents.

 This is the Carol Dauplaise necklace I mentioned finding last weekend. I still haven't worn it.

The details are really pretty. It looks quasi-Celtic to me.

 These hats were $3.00 each. The white one has a trio of hatpins that would sell for more than the hat (the two lucite ones anyway).

People ask about my specs on the blog, and in life so I thought I'd give a better look at them. They aren't sunnies, just tinted a bright blue. Originally, they were my mum's, purchased in the late 80's. She had them set with a very dark brown tint. These would have been very strange specs for a 50 year old, suburban white lady in the 80's. Cazal as a brand was made famous in the US by Run DMC. My mum was as far from a rap fan as you could get, so we were a little surprised when she came home with these. My dad was a little surprised when he found out she'd spent something like $500.00 on a pair of frames. I think she knew she was dying, and wanted to splash out on something really nice for herself. I kept the frames for close to 25 years before I finally felt enough time had gone by that it wouldn't be weird for me to wear them. I had them set with my prescription, and went for the blue tint. These are big, heavy specs! By the end of the day the bridge of my nose is numb. Considering mum's lenses were much thicker and heavier than mine, I don't know how she managed to wear them day after day. She was tougher than I realised. 

 The sides are open, which created an odd optical illusion until I became accustomed to them.

The plastic strip at the top keeps them rested gently against my forehead. Compared to other frames, these tend to collect less eyemakeup on the lenses. I don't know if that design feature helps with that. I notice they require less cleaning than other pairs. So that's the story. 

Monday is here again, so we all have an opportunity to start the week afresh. I hope yours goes well. Peace.