Pru is an interesting shade of purple

I was born in a red state.  Raised in red and blue states.  Live in a blue-ish-purple state.

Me - I'm purple and privileged and pissed.  I hold a few degrees, come from a primarily middle class background (with some working class and some upper class roots), have worked very hard to get to where I am.  I credit grit, hard work, intelligence and a love of reading (libraries!!!) with most of my success.  Oh yes and opportunity and the very lucky lottery win of being born where I was and to my parents.

I have lived in a variety of environments - with people from various backgrounds, religions, skin colors, gender orientations (not always at the same time).  Urban, suburban - I got ya!  Only area that I haven't lived in is rural.  Sorry not a rural type of girl (not an animal or plant lover either - heck I barely like people).  I have had friends that were from rural areas and huge plant/animal lovers - and I adored those friends (if it counts!).

I have worked with or known people from all walks of life.  So I am still scratching my head.

I get that there is still racism in this country.  Part of me feels like one good thing is that it will now be more out in the open. (The bad thing is the violence and discrimination that accompanies it.)  I feel like too many of us thought we (i.e. Americans) were all more accepting of others who didn't look like us - now we know how very wrong we were.

What I was extremely surprised by was how many women excused Trump's behavior towards women.  (And if you voted for him or would have voted for him for any non-Americans then yes you excused it.)  I don't want to know the reason why they did.  Whatever the reason it was, it would still sicken and disgust me.  

[I'll say it again - not interested in anyone who is or would have been a Trump supporter reading my blog.  Clearly I can't stop you but please know and embrace that you are not welcome here.  There are plenty of other blogs out there so go find one that shares your values.]

Time and time again, it has been shown that if women do well, all benefit.  If women are included, all benefit.  This tends to hold true from third world countries to corporate board rooms.  Part of it is diversity, the other part is that women tend to focus on different things and have different methods of doing things etc.

Yet time and time again, we also know that women drag other women down.  Some call it cattiness.  Frankly I'm not sure what to call it.  But the fact of the matter is that while some women support other women and ALL women, other women don't.  

That needs to change.  IMO, as a whole women do tend to be more inclusive - especially when it comes to race.  I think some of it has to do with women bonding over children.  The majority of women look at a baby of any color and tend to smile because they think, "baby!".  They don't only smile at white babies or only at brown babies etc.  

(I acknowledge this inclusiveness does not always extend to people of different sexual orientations or genders.)

I'm heading off on a tangent but all I can think these days is "really women - WTF?!"

Needless to say, I've been doing a lot of reading and a lot of blogs have been offering up charities to donate to.  I now have an enormous list of charities to consider.  I do like to read up a bit on charities before I donate.  While there are so many worthy causes, I'd like to narrow it to just a handful and aim to donate consistently to those charities vs $10 to 100 charities.  I am leaning towards charities that benefit women (because of my above comments about inclusiveness), I haven't fully made up my mind.   I am planning on donating on Thanksgiving when I have a bit of time to process things.

Under my personal name, I have also joined Twitter and Facebook to follow certain groups/people to stay better informed.

I already consistently read the Wall Street Journal.  Although conservative leaning, I felt that from a news perspective (not necessarily from an editorial one) they offered fair coverage during the election of both sides.  I also relied on other national press during the election.  I will be paying for an online subscription to one other paper to support the type of really good investigative journalism this world needs.  

Because I was not on Facebook, I am absolutely horrified at all the fake press that was circulating.  I simply did not come into contact with it.  But this really begs the question of how could people believe certain things?  I have seen some of the fake article titles and there is that part of me that says didn't the internal bullshit barometer go off?  I think a lot of it comes down to exposure ?!?!

Where is that huge grain of salt that accompanies everything?  It must just be me who carries a salt shaker with her because I am skeptical of most things.

I am also considering the march on DC on January 21st.  Either that or the in-state protest march.  Things are still being flushed out so I'll probably make my decision about that in a week or two.

Once I figure things out I will post what I am doing.

One thing is key - I feel the urgent need to do more.  Purple Pru does not feel this country is headed in the right direction.  We cannot normalize this.  While Trump is the president-elect, that doesn't make it acceptable.  Do not be complacent Pru. 

I truly wonder if all the citizens of the U.S. know what an impact the U.S. has on the world.  We are truly a global power.  But we are no longer a global power in the sense that other countries don't matter.  It is no longer our way or the highway - that would be taking us back to the 1960s.  But we are still the country that leads the way in thought.  We are still the country that on the surface preached diversity of thought and religion and ethnicity.  I believe that gave the world a lot of hope.  Because at least one major country out there looked as though they had open arms and was successful.

Today, America is not great because of our manufacturing or the products we produce - in the tangible sense.  We are great because of the services we provide and the ideas we produce.  That comes from diversity.  It comes from inclusion - men and women of all races, genders, religions, orientations, etc.  We are also great because of the transparency of our government and of our companies.  This must continue.  

But we must also remember those in our manufacturing communities.  Those in the coal communities.  Those in areas where industry has moved on.  The answer is not to stay in the past but to look toward the future.  If industry has moved on, look to move with it.  Look to develop different skills.  Not better skills but different skills that can help all succeed.  This is where the nation failed its citizens.  And it is where it can help its citizens.

About a year ago I spent a weekend in Vegas.  Not exactly a place that I would choose.  But I was with people I like and stayed in a place far away from the strip which had other attractions (movies! bowling!).  Over the course of the weekend I played bingo 3 times ($5 each game) and I spent $15 on the penny slots.  Yes the penny slots.  I didn't win and I lost about $30.  Absolutely nothing to cry home about and completely OK to mark it up as entertainment.   Let's just say that I don't really gamble because I don't like the odds.

This country gambled by electing Trump.  The problem is that the house usually wins.  Sure there is one or two punters who do well.  The rest of the punters (as well as the house) like to point to those two winners and say, "See it CAN be done!"  But at the end of the day the majority of punters walk out the door, having lost money and not really knowing what the hell happened.

I'm keeping that in mind.

Pru