Aging gracefully is difficult. Knowing when to stay and when to go is complicated. There are no easy answers. I have been thinking about this a lot lately, perhaps because I’ve been watching two ageing quarterbacks—Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tom Brady. 

I find myself rooting for both of them, although neither quarterback made it to the final playoff games this year. We need not feel sorry for them. Both have accolades galore. Brady is often called the GOAT—Greatest of All Times. And both quarterbacks had some spectacular games–even this season. It is not yet clear what either quarterback will do next season. I find myself hoping they both will return. 

I worked for a consulting firm that required partners to take mandatory retirement. After I retired, I felt I still had a lot of gas in the tank and took several temporary positions. I still am on the lookout for interesting work and continue to participate in volunteer activities. 

There is a lot of talk about age in the press recently given Biden’s probable decision to run for reelection. Certainly, Congress is chock full of aging members. In an article in last Sunday’s NY Times, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told Maureen Dowd that it bugged her that people kept asking her if she would move on from Congress given her age—82. Yet no one was asking Mitch McConnell (R-KY) that same question who is also age 82. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) are both 89. Hal Rogers (R-KY) is 84. Maxine Waters (D-CA) is 83. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) is 82. Today the average age in the Senate is 63.9 and in the House it’s 57.5.  Today the youngest member of the House is 25-year-old Maxwell Frost (D-FL). The second youngest is AOC (D-NY) who is 33. The youngest senator is 35-year-old Jon Ossoff (D-GA). Interesting. 

Some older authors are my favorites. Elizabeth Strout is 67. She won a Pulitzer Prize for Olive Kitteridge and her more recent novel Oh William, which made the shortlist for the 2022 Booker Prize, was followed by the excellent Lucy by the Sea. Frank McCourt was 66 when his Pulitzer Prize winning book Angela’s Ashes was published. Laura Ingalls Wilder published Little House on the Prairie when she was 65. 

Some of my favorite actors are “old.” Clint Eastwood is 92. Robert Redford is 86. Dustin Hoffman is 85. Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Al Pacino are 82. Harrison Ford is 80. Morgan Freeman and Robert De Niro are 79. Meryl Streep is 73. I am grateful that they continue to seek interesting roles. All are magnificent. 

In college, I authored a paper about Grandma Moses who began painting in earnest at age 78. She painted almost until her death when she was 101. Matisse created his famous cutouts when he began losing his eyesight. Some of his best cutouts were created the year before he died at age 83. Georgia O’Keeffe kept painting until the end of her days. She died when she was 98. 

Scientists who are still making amazing discoveries include Richard Attenborough and Jane Goodell–both are 88. Businessman Warren Buffett is still going strong at 92. 

Commercial airline pilots have a mandatory retirement age of 65, although, given the pilot shortage, it may soon be extended until age 67. In 2009, Sully Sullenberger ditched a US airways flight in the Hudson River after both engines were disabled by a bird strike. All 155 passengers survived. “Sully” was 58 years old at the time. Many attributed his many years of experience as the reason he landed the plane safely. 

This month I went to a classical concert featuring classical pianist Emanuel Ax. It was one of the best concerts I have heard in my lifetime. At age 73, Ax played Beethoven’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 flawlessly with no music in front of him. It was spectacular. 

The other side of the coin is what happens when you stay too long. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a case in point. A hero to many, still even some of her most ardent advocates wish she would have retired when she was 80 and Obama was president. If she had, perhaps we could have avoided at least some of the current Supreme Court nightmare and the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

By 2050, one of every six people in the world will be over age 65. All kinds of articles give advice on aging gracefully. Many involve maintaining healthy relationships, keeping a sense of humor, staying active, meditating, appreciating all the good things life has to offer, eating a healthy diet, and getting plenty of exercise. 

The actress Ingrid Bergman once said, “Getting old is like climbing a mountain, you get a little out of breath, but the view is much better.”  Like I said, it’s complicated.

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of a federal human capital practice at an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, gardening, piano, and nature. 

When I was a grad student at Georgetown, admittedly many years ago, it was easy to enter the House gallery and witness the proceedings. I spent many afternoons after class in the gallery watching bills become laws. I was in awe of the process and impressed by the impassioned speeches. I remember envying the “gravitas” and eloquence of the whole environment.  

Let’s fast forward to last week’s circus on the House Floor. It took 15 ballots and four days for California Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy to gain his long-coveted Speaker of the House role. During that time, children were slouched over, babies slept, bags of popcorn were brought into the Chamber. One representative brought her puppy into the chamber to show off to her colleagues. Husbands and wives, who were there to witness the long-delayed swearing-in ceremony, were frantically rescheduling plans to remain in DC for extra days. Some representatives brought novels to read—one appeared to have finished about three-quarters of the book before the proceedings ended. A few congresswomen were knitting scarves. After the 14th round with no victory, Alabama Republican congressman, Mike Rogers, lunged at Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz and had to be restrained, preventing a true fistfight from breaking out on the floor. Nice.  

As I watched this clown-show continue, I reflected on the quality of many of the elected candidates.

Gaetz, one of the leaders of the far-right pack, has been under investigation for several months for sex trafficking. His colleague, Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector, received an 11-year prison sentence. 

Colorado Republican, Lauren Boebert, who received her GED—the equivalent of a high school diploma—a few months before winning her election, has had several altercations with the law. She refused to walk through a metal detector at the Capitol. She’s been cuffed for disorderly conduct at a music festival. She’s been charged with reckless driving after rolling her truck into a ditch. She has failed to show up in court a few times. Her husband has been booked on domestic violence charges and has been charged with exposing his penis to women in a bowling alley.  Boebert has been charged with third-degree assault charges against her husband. During the Speaker nominating fiasco, Boebert, was Gaetz’s partner in crime, sitting next to him and smugly smiling whenever the cameras surfaced.

We’ve all read recent reports about the fraudster, Republican Congressman from Long Island, New York, George Santos, who lied about his employment, his education, his ethnicity, his mother’s death, and who Brazil is accusing of writing stolen checks. In the last few weeks, Santos came up with a scheme to charge supporters hundreds of dollars to witness his swearing in, thereby violating campaign financing laws.  

The infamous Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, now expected to lead the Judiciary Committee, has been accused of knowing and doing nothing about a sexual abuse scandal when he was an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University. Today Jordan is best known for disrupting congressional hearings whenever the topic strays to Trump or other right-wing hot-button issues.  

Pennsylvania Republican Scott Perry, Chairman of the Freedom Caucus, who is being investigated for his role in the January 6, insurrection and for other efforts to keep Trump in office, will now be in charge of initiating a series of his own investigations.  The Justice Department recently seized his phone. 

Before he became a congressman, Arizona Republican Eli Crane, hawked a bottle opener on the TV show Shark Tank made of spent bullet casings with an ad that encouraged others to “Shoot open a bottle in the manliest way possible.”  

Arizona Republican Paul Gosar’s own family called him a traitor and urged Congress to investigate his role in the January 6 insurrection. They endorsed his opponent. 

Arizona Republican Andy Biggs, who put his name in the hat to challenge McCarthy, is also under investigation for his role in aiding and abetting the activities of January 6.  

And how frightening was it to witness Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene of “gazpacho police,” “our enemies are quacking in their boots,” calling for “Marshall law” as opposed to “martial law” and “peach tree dish” fame, getting Trump on the line in the late hours after the 14th try to get McCarthy elected to Speaker and watching her swing her cell phone around, encouraging defectors to speak to Trump. 

Of course, let’s not forget our own Republican Congressman Andy Harris, who was one of the infamous 19 who didn’t vote for McCarthy until the final rounds, and who is legendary for bringing a handgun into the Capitol and participating in the planning for the January 6 insurrection. Harris has made it clear that he is interested in chairing the health subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee which controls billions of dollars in government spending. If he succeeds in getting this assignment, one of McCarthy’s loyal supporters or someone who should be next in line based on seniority will be out of luck.  

Thanks to McCarthy’s negotiating skills, the above-mentioned so called “patriots” will have leadership roles on the Judiciary Committee, the Rules Committee, the Armed Services Committee, and more. in addition, they have received McCarthy’s promise to create a committee on “the weaponization of the Federal government” –a forum for their efforts to investigate the FBI, the IRS, and perhaps the Department of Justice. They’ve also gotten an agreement to have a vote on not raising the debt ceiling. And they’ve asked for the ability to call for a vote to oust the Speaker with only one such request—called “the motion to vacate.”  Some claim that McCarthy also promised to hold votes on term limits and border security early in the year. Clearly, the Freedom Caucus will have more say over how bills are proposed, amended and passed.  In Gaetz’s own words, “I couldn’t think of anything else to ask for.” 

On subsequent news programs, Texas Republican Congressman Chip Roy, who voted against McCarthy for 11 rounds of voting, stated that the Freedom Caucus will use the tools of the House to enforce the terms of the agreements mentioned above. Some moderate Republicans have already stated that they will fight against McCarthy’s “deals with the devils.”  This is not a promising start for the 118th Congress. 

We can do so much better than this. It’s way past time that we require candidates who run for office to pass a sensible entrance exam that verifies their understanding of government processes. Physicians, lawyers, accountants, teachers, actuaries, financial planners—all are required to have bonafide credentials.  It’s time we ask candidates who control the legislative agenda and manage our tax dollars to have basic credentials and at least some rudimentary understanding of how a bill becomes a law, etc. In addition, a background check, required for all kinds of employment, is not too much to require of a candidate.  If one had been done on Santos, I guarantee he would not have been elected. 

So, Kevin, prognosticators predict your speakership will be short and miserable. Only time will tell. Good luck.  But as my mom used to say, “Be careful what you wish for.” 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of a federal human capital practice at an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, gardening, piano, and nature. 

 

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Repibocam 

 

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This may be the wrong time of year to write this article, but here we are. It feels as though the world is off kilter—fallen off its axis or gotten hit by a massive meteorite. Why do I feel this way? Here is just a small sampling of what is going on in the world these days. 

Hundreds of people in Ukraine and Russia continue to die each month that the war continues. Many Ukrainians are without power and heat—some have lost their homes. Ukrainian babies are being born outside of hospitals in total darkness and in freezing temperatures. Putin is colluding with Iran, and Iran plans to provide Putin with advanced lethal drones and possibly ballistic missiles. 

Iran hung a 23-year-old man from a metal crane whom they accused of killing two members of the paramilitary and wounding others. His hands and feet were bound, and a black bag covered his head. He was not allowed to choose a lawyer, challenge the evidence against him, or ask for a public trial. Fears are growing that Iran is preparing to execute scores more protesters. 

Just this past week, earthquakes were recorded in the San Francisco Bay area and Midland, TX. Massive blizzards blasted the country, and more are predicted. I recently arrived at our home in Florida and witnessed the devastating results of Hurricane Ian—yet more evidence of climate change. We were luckier than many. Still our home suffered substantial damage. More than 100 people died as a result of Hurricane Ian, mostly from drowning. More than 5,000 homes were destroyed and another 13,000 suffered substantial damage. Florida has made impressive progress in rehabilitating the state, but huge piles of debris remain, and most waterways are impassable. Many beaches remain contaminated and closed. 

More than two million migrants have crossed the U.S. border in 2022. A growing number of migrants have arrived in El Paso, Texas, in recent weeks—an average of 2,500 per day. The situation is becoming a full-grown humanitarian crisis. The increase has been attributed to the scheduled end of Title 42, a policy that kicked many migrants out of the U.S. A humane solution to this crisis is a significant challenge.

Every night in America, more than 300,000 men, women and children are in homeless shelters. An additional 200,000 spend each night unsheltered—on the streets, in subway trains, etc. California has the highest number of homeless people in the country, and the situation is worsening.

In addition, recent estimates indicate that approximately nine million children in the U.S. live in “food insecure” homes and often suffer from hunger and malnutrition. A recent study claimed that 42,000 people on Maryland’s Eastern Shore are “food insecure.”

The already-announced 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump is exhibiting Increasingly bizarre behavior, highlighted by last week’s release of NFTs—non-fungible tokens—digital trading cards featuring caricatures of Trump in various guises including an astronaut, a fighter pilot, and a superhero with lasers coming out of his eyes. They originally sold for $99. Sadly, people are buying these (although there is some speculation that Trump himself may be the biggest buyer) from a man who is certain to be indicted for obstruction of an official proceeding and incitement of an insurrection. 

And although we can be grateful that Herschel Walker did not win the runoff election for Senate in Georgia, the fact remains that almost half of Georgia voters chose a clearly unqualified and mentally troubled candidate over contender Reverend Warnock. 

Then, of course, there continues to be the unhinged rantings of Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who claimed that “if Steve Bannon and I had organized that (the insurrection), we would have won. Not to mention, we would have been armed.” Don’t hold your breath for the new Republican-controlled House of Representatives to discipline her for her comments. 

And finally, Covid continues to rear its ugly head, coupled with the worst flu season in recent history. And then there is RSV. These three maladies have caused hospitals to be filled to capacity, and the health system in general to be taxed beyond measure.  

So, like many, I find it a bit difficult to be “merry and bright” this holiday season. But let’s try to find reasons for hope and good cheer. 

First, the amount of aid and support both individuals and countries have given Ukraine must be acknowledged and applauded. And then there is the unwavering spirit of the Ukrainian people which is truly inspiring. 

Next, Vladimir Putin has lost support from most of the world. He is now widely viewed as a modern-day Hitler. Iran remains a Russian ally, but that’s about it. It’s hard to see how Putin can emerge a winner in this situation.

The bravery of Afghanistan women who protested against losing their rights is hard to understate. Such protests have quickly spread across multiple provinces in Afghanistan and are being applauded in many countries across the world. Several agencies fight each day to protect and promote the rights of Afghanistan women. 

The migrant issue remains a challenge. However, there continues to be strong determination to move the issue front and center and finally pass constructive legislation. 

Several federal and state agencies are developing initiatives to combat homelessness and hunger. Some initiatives involve addressing solutions for prevention of homelessness, including early intervention programs and strategies. There are also dedicated programs for farmers markets and other local food entities to promote ways for the hungry to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Food banks have also stepped up to the challenge and have been especially responsive during the Thanksgiving holiday, as well as upcoming holidays. 

And though illnesses continue to assault us and our health system, we are in a better place than we were a few years ago. Vaccinations, boosters, home health tests and medicines have come to our rescue and helped to reduce symptoms and the severity of these illnesses. 

We also can be grateful that President Biden has exceeded expectations thus far in his presidency. Although his approval rating remains low, he has passed significant infrastructure legislation and presided over a scandal-free administration. He also has succeeded in appointing dozens of qualified Federal judges. Midterm election results were also encouraging. Because no widespread red wave occurred, Biden will have a fighting chance to address legislation that is responsive to America’s needs. 

Desmond Tutu once said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.” This season, it would be a special gift if each of us could seek the light and find a way to make it brighter. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of a federal human capital practice at an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, gardening, and nature. 

 

Just when you thought we could not stoop lower, think again. The vitriol and cruelty coming from comments on the attack on Speaker of the House’s husband, Paul Pelosi, are beyond the pale. What have we come to as a country? What happened to empathy, compassion, caring, kindness, and just, in general, overall good will? 

The horror and shocking actions of a perpetrator entering a home by crashing into a glass door with a hammer, slinging a hammer at an 82-year-old’s head, while armed with zip ties, and ranting, “Where’s Nancy” and later telling San Francisco police, “he wanted to break her kneecaps if she lied to him,” is bad enough. But the ensuing comments and jokes that followed are cruel, heartless, and patently immoral. 

Some Republican members of congress, including McConnell and McCarthy, condemned the violence. But it did not take long for other opponents of Nancy Pelosi to begin making cruel comments and completely inappropriate jokes at Pelosi and her husband’s expense. 

Here are just a few examples. Virginia governor, Glenn Youngkin, said this. “I want to stop for a minute…there’s no room for violence anywhere, but we’re going to send her (Nancy Pelosi) back to be with him (Paul Pelosi) in California. That’s what we’re gonna go do. That’s what we’re gonna do.” Donald Trump Jr. retweeted a photo on Sunday of a piece of underwear and a hammer that was captioned. “Got my Paul Pelosi Halloween costume ready.”  Kerri Lake, Republican candidate for governor of Arizona, drew laughter at a campaign event in Scottsdale, Arizona, when she said, “Nancy Pelosi, well she’s got protection when she’s in DC.  Apparently, her house doesn’t have a lot of protection.”  Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed that nothing would have happened to Pelosi if he carried a gun with him. And during a debate, Republican Ohio senate candidate J. D. Vance blamed Democratic immigration policies since he claimed that the perpetrator was an illegal immigrant. Apparently, the perpetrator entered the country 20 years ago from British Columbia. 

And then, of course, the conspiracy theories began. One promoted by many of the far-right persuasion was that the attacker and Paul Pelosi were gay lovers who had gotten into a fight. Elon Musk did nothing to squelch the ridiculous conspiracy theories but instead posted, “there is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye.”  Fox News commentators also insinuated that this was a lover’s spat. Donald Trump Jr., later claimed that the intruder was breaking out—not breaking in. Trump himself repeated that claim on a radio show. (For the record, Capitol Police camera footage released this week shows the perpetrator entering the house from the outside by smashing glass doors with a hammer.)

Seriously? Is this who we are now? It is beyond disgusting. It is pathetic that people joke about a horrible assault and spin all kinds of bizarre false narratives and then post and repost. 

 I am aware that there was hatred and contempt in America before Trump became president. But I am also aware that Trump legitimized mocking disabled people, criticizing women’s looks, giving competitors’ cruel nicknames, condoning violence, spinning outrageous false claims, and eventually making all these vicious attacks become business as usual. 

It is a sad, disappointing, and embarrassing commentary on our society today. Let’s just say this. It is never OK to encourage violence, invent and perpetrate outrageous lies, mock those who are less fortunate, and celebrate an opponent’s adversity. It just isn’t. 

Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” When we celebrate others’ misfortunes and mock their struggles, we diminish ourselves and our society. Please let’s just stop spewing negative and cruel comments at someone’ else’s expense. And please let us not support, elevate, and celebrate those who do. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of a federal human capital practice at an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, gardening, and nature.

During this election season, the most frequent attack you hear from Republican candidates is that Democrats are soft on crime. Elect Republicans, they say, and rid the country of crime. Think again. Let’s review the facts.

A study released from Third Way found that per capita murder rates in 2020 were 40 percent higher in states that voted for Donald Trump than in those that voted for Biden. The study also found that eight of the 10 states with the highest per capita murder rates in 2020 voted Republican in every presidential election in the century. 

Next, Republicans repeatedly have opposed gun control, allowing people who should never have access to weapons to acquire them. Soon after he became president, Trump rolled back an Obama-era regulation and made it easier for people with mental illnesses to purchase guns. Several Republican candidates running for office propose ways to weaken gun laws if they get elected. Florida Senator Marco Rubio voted against the bipartisan Safer Communities Act which was the first new legislation on gun policy to pass Congress in roughly three decades. And most Republicans are against raising the legal age to purchase guns to age 21. Many of the recent horrific shootings have been done by males under the age of 21. (Remember Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s solution for reducing school shootings—lock all but one door and post guards at schools.)

In addition to an uptick in gun-related crime, hate speech has become mainstream, courtesy of Trump and many of his hand-picked Republican candidates. It is not their country, it is your country, they say. Rants against Jews, immigrants, and minorities in general, encourage violence and motivate others to assume that such acts are justified. Multiple studies have indicated that crime is much more rampant from right-wing extremist groups—Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and others–than from left-wing extremist groups such as Antifa. Data shows that right wing groups are more dangerous and much more active. 

Finally, let us not forget that many of these so-called “law and order” candidates encouraged the attack on the Capitol on January 6. Some marched with them. Some helped organize the insurrection. And then there was Missouri Senator Josh Hawley’s famous fist-pump to the perpetrators who killed police, chanted “hang Mike Pence,” wore swastikas, smashed windows, and desecrated the Capitol. On many occasions, Trump has called these perpetrators patriots, and he has promised to pardon them should he get re-elected. Tough on crime, you say?

Democrats are not soft on crime. In the coming days until the mid-term elections, Democrats must do a much better job of changing the narrative and communicating their positions to voters. Some Democratic candidates, like Florida senate candidate Val Demings, are starting to discuss solutions to reduce crimes such as community funding intervention initiatives rather than simply echoing their Republican opponents’ claims that they will be tough on crime. Democrats must continue to do so. It will be a crime if they do not. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of a federal human capital practice at an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, gardening, and nature.

The other night, as a bit of a lark, I started to watch this relatively new series on Netflix called Partner Track. It is about a group of associates who are trying to make partner at a high-powered New York City law firm. They constantly struggle to make themselves look good and their fellow associates look bad in front of senior partners and potential clients. 

In the first episode, associates spend time predicting what phrases will be used in a meeting about a potential merger and acquisition. They guess phrases like boil the ocean, that’s real money, golden ticket, kick the tires, circle the wagons, slippery slope, and align the incentives. It turns out they are right. Within minutes after the meeting has begun, the jargon spews forth. 

The scene cracked me up. When I was in consulting, I found lingo used in business meetings hilarious. I started recording common phrases and then got sophisticated enough to divide phrases into groupings. There were the sports metaphors, like full court press, taking it over the finish line, there is no “I” in team, the ball’s in your court, Hail Mary pass, down for the count. And whenever we were bidding on a long-shot proposal, you could bet someone would pipe up with “any Given Sunday” you never know what will happen. 

Then there were the money metaphors, like cash cow, printing money, pouring money down the drain, money talks, time is money, rainmaker, and giving my two cents.

Next came the old sage metaphors like it’s not over til the fat lady sings, don’t reinvent the wheel, you’ve got to break eggs to make an omelet, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, it’s not in my wheelhouse, at the drop of a hat, don’t let the cat out of the bag, you missed the boat, leave no stone unturned, and cut to the chase.

Consultants would tell me phrases their parents used when they were growing up. They gave examples like I brought you into this world, I can take you out, tell someone who cares, two peas in a pod, the world is your oyster, you’re barking up the wrong tree, you’re making a mountain out of a molehill, she’s a diamond in the rough, life isn’t a bed of roses, and, of course, money doesn’t grow on trees. 

Often when we had meetings, just to get things going, we would see how many phrases we could use in the first five minutes. Then we would make up our own bad sage sayings. My favorite was “assign blame whenever possible” which, of course, is the worst thing you can do. 

There is something about these sayings, I find fascinating. Often, they speak of an era. Parents who grew up during the depression used sayings about tough times—A penny saved is a penny earned, don’t cry over spilt milk, a stitch in time saves nine. FDR said, “It is the American people themselves who are in the driver’s seat.” He called people who were in denial about the horrors of war “cheerful idiots.” And he frequently used the phrase “separating the wheat from the chaff.” 

Many popular sayings come from Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack. They include haste makes waste, lost time is never found again, no gains without pains, we must indeed all hang together or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately, well done is better than well said, and guests like fish begin to smell after three days.

My mom’s favorite saying was, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I was thinking about that saying as I watched the news coverage about the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Say what you want about the woman, there was no question that she ruled with a quiet grace and dignity that is all too rare in today’s rude crude world. It is difficult not to juxtapose her countenance with Trump’s mean-spirited comments about others. I am sad and embarrassed as I reflect on the fact that America elected a president who clearly put no stock in grace, class, kindness, or compassion. The word decorum was not in his lexicon. Such virtues were not a priority for us as a nation when we elected him to be our president, and the world was watching.

In closing, when I reflect on where we are as a country, perhaps the most appropriate saying is, you reap what you sow. Let us hope that one of my favorite authors, George Eliot, was right when she said, “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”   

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of a federal human capital practice at an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, gardening, and nature.

I have become weary of the unending hyperbole. Every ad. Every Instagram posting—it is the finest, the most exquisite, unique—one of a kind (hello, it means the same thing). Sometimes I read seven adjectives before I get to the noun it modifies—venerable, historic, breathtaking, refined, decadent, esteemed, noteworthy, rarified, bold yet understated. What? I long for the unadulterated concise sentence. Where is it?

The irony, of course, with all this extreme adulation about ice cream, dinner, jewelry, wine, automobiles, or cellphones is that the noun in question often disappoints. Truth be told, it would be hard for most anything to live up to such embellishments. 

Many products we consume in today’s marketplace are of lesser quality than they were in bygone days. But you would never know it to hear the accolades on radio, TV, websites, and Instagram. 

Harvard Business Review published an article sometime back about the eight dimensions of quality:  performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability, aesthetics, and perceived quality. For example, Japanese vehicles focus more on reliability and conformance and less on options and aesthetics. The premise of the article is that because it is difficult for a product to be ranked superior in every attribute, it is smart to focus on one or two attributes, while keeping the others in mind. 

The issue of quality is interesting. Some mansions, automobiles, spirits, and purses sell for ridiculously expensive prices. When you read Friday’s Mansion section of the Wall Street Journal, you see stunning estates for $300 million, $240 million, $125 million. (Bill Gates’ house called Xanadu 2.0 is 66,000 square feet, is worth $127 million, and has an annual property tax bill of approximately $1,154 million. It has been reported that Melinda Gates never really liked the mansion that once caused her to have a “mini sort of personal crisis.”) A McLaren Speedtail, an exotic sports car, sold for $3 million at auction. A bottle of Macallan M Scotch sold in a Hong Kong-based auction for $628,205. Melania Trump’s Hermes Birkin purse was valued somewhere between $75,000 and $100,000. Louis Vuitton sells a skateboard for $8,250.

A while back I authored an article about the importance of quality versus quantity. I believe that to be true. But there is a dramatic difference between working hard and striving to own wonderful things that you care for and treasure for a lifetime and ostentatious consumption. This difference becomes even more disturbing when you consider the tremendous income inequality in this country. At the end of 2021, the top one percent in the U.S. owned. 32.3 percent of the nation’s wealth, one of the reasons you see such outrageous spending on items with astounding price tags. 

My point is not only that it is mind boggling that someone would pay $100,000 for a purse. But that most ultra-expensive purchases are not worth their exorbitant price tags. Surely, a Birkin bag is well made. But is it worth 85 percent more than another handbag that is handcrafted from the finest Italian leather and costs $1.000? There comes a point of diminishing returns. A survey from the American Affluence Research Center found that the affluent believe most luxury brands are “overrated.”  

Several surveys have been conducted where avid scotch drinkers taste test scotches ranging from modest prices to bottles worth several hundred dollars. Tasters could differentiate from the lower-cost scotches but had trouble discerning the expensive versus the ultra-expensive ones. Distinctions were small. The same goes for expensive wines. We all love a great crisp chilled white wine but how much more enjoyable is that $800 bottle? 

All this excess makes one long for the short honest descriptions for which Hemingway was famous. 

Here is a quote from Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast: “Sometimes when I was starting a new story and I could not get it going, … I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, do not worry. You have always written before, and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know. So finally, I would write one true sentence, and then go on from there.”

Let us celebrate the one true sentence—a rarity in this world of overwhelming hyped-up social media. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of a federal human capital practice at an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, gardening, and nature.

 

You may have seen segments on late-night TV where hosts go out on public streets and ask passersby questions like, “What’s the capital of Italy?” Or “In what continent is Australia?” Later, when given the correct answer, the responder says, “Wait, you mean Australia is a continent?” The audience roars with laughter. Is this funny or embarrassing? Our ignorance is mind boggling. How can we have the so-called best education system in the world and yet have so many uninformed people?

And things are getting worse. Now we see people proud of their ignorance openly castigating experts in their fields. The number of anti-vaxers during the height of the pandemic was astounding. After millions of Americans were vaccinated, they still doubted the experts, refused to protect themselves, and put others in danger. 

Early election returns have Sarah Palin ahead for the Alaska congressional seat vacated by Representative Don Young (R) who died earlier this year. This is the case even though she was unable to name a single newspaper that she read when she was ran for vice president on the GOP ticket with John McCain. Her lack of foreign affairs knowledge during the debates was beyond frightening. Enter Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) who speaks of “Peachtree dishes” and “Gazpacho police.”

This is a particularly frightening phenomenon given that public officials, who are supposed to consult experts and determine appropriate laws, are incapable or resistant to making informed thoughtful decisions. 

And then there are those policy makers who have Ivy League educations but refute facts and create alternative realities to explain away truths when the facts present themselves. Ted Cruz (R-TX, Princeton, and Harvard Law) said guns were not the problem in the recent school shootings in Uvalde. Instead, he suggested that shooters can be stopped by locking all but one door and posting guards at schools. Immediately after the January 6 insurrection, fist-pumping Josh Hawley (R-MO, Stanford, and Yale Law) voted not to certify Biden’s election, even after no election fraud was detected. Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL, Yale, and Harvard Law) stirred up a big brouhaha about critical race theory, all the while knowing that it was not a big issue in Florida schools’ curriculums. So why did these three take such positions knowing that the facts did not substantiate their points of view? To play to their base—saying what they knew their base wanted to hear, taking calculated positions to ensure their reelections. 

Many young people today do not read newspapers or watch any news programs. They get their information from the Internet, social media, Facebook, TikTok and various chat rooms. Many of them do not read substantive books. When they pick up a book, it is some fantasy escape or manga cartoon. 

This social media obsession has created an environment where Americans skim the surface of critical issues, develop uninformed opinions and then mock experts who explain in detail the various permutations of different subjects. (Just remember the hatred the masses had for Dr. Fauci.) We have now reached a point where we are proud of our ignorance and refer to those who have done the “deep dive” on particular subject as “elitists.” 

This is a dangerous situation. America seeks to be entertained rather than informed. The inane premises of some recent TV shows are depressing. A new TV show premiering on ABC is called The Final Straw where apparently four teams of contestants pull items from towers of kitchen appliances and basketballs. The winning team is the one whose tower stands the longest. Seriously? Also, speaking of inane TV, on The Masked Singer, Palin was disguised as a bear and Giuliani was a Jack-in-the-Box.

We live in a world of increasing complexity. We must trust scientists, engineers, doctors, who are experts in their various fields. Do these experts sometimes get it wrong? Absolutely. But, at the end of the day, do they know more than average citizens about the issues at hand? Yes. It is the height of ignorance to celebrate ignorance and mock intellectualism. When you do not believe in climate change, even when presented with indisputable facts (Death Valley, CA reached a record high of 130 degrees.) When you continue to believe the election was stolen, even when recount after recount proves otherwise. When you believe lies scripted by QAnon about secret Satanic child-sex trafficking rings or Marjorie Taylor Greene’s false claims that more votes were cast than there were voters in Pennsylvania. Or that straight people face extinction. Or Paul Gosar’s (R-AZ) claim that the Texas shooter was a “transsexual illegal alien,” let us admit that we have issues.

Yes, some may laugh at the insanity of these comments. But we are heading to a seriously bad place, and the rest of the world is watching.

To quote Dostoevsky in The Brothers Karamazov, “Above all, do not lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect, he ceases to love.” 

How close are we to that exact situation today? Please, America take heed. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of a federal human capital practice at an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, gardening, and nature.