This Could Go Either Way

I'm going to clean out the starred file. This could be interesting, super depressing, and may or may not be only 10 things. Hold on tight!

1. Did you see the pictures of the Comfort Dogs that went to Sandy Hook? It's a feel good thing. Be sure to click the link at the end of the second post for the full set of pictures.

2. My Facebook and Twitter feeds on Friday were equal parts people expressing horror and sadness at the shootings and people screeching (I don't know what the font is for that but it was really clear even in type) that they were not going to shut up about gun control and this was too the day to bellow from the rooftops. I had a couple of quick thoughts. My first was, "I'm not asking you to quit talking about it forever. I'm asking you to stop talking about it until the bodies are identified and the kids aren't lying alone on the linoleum anymore. That doesn't seem like too much." This was relatively swiftly followed by, "Everybody's gotta work through this their own way." which kept me from posting the first thought which I'm pretty glad about. Though I guess not so glad that I kept from posting it at all because here we are with me working through it in my own way.

3. My friend Rick, the poet, wrote a piece about what if there are no answers to this kind of violence. It's perhaps the most unsettling thing I've read in the last four days.

4. I haven't watched this video (or the previous six) yet but, knowing what I know about Neilochka, I feel confident it's awesome. It's Neil's 7th Annual Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert!

5. I am a huge fan of the Aliens franchise, especially the second movie, you know, Aliens. The idea of Ripley as a saint who watches over us is pretty freaking appealing. 

6. Check out some photos of FLOTUS reading a book to some kids while her dog sits on her lap. You just know she's doing all the voices. She's a real, live human being with passions and ideas and actions. It's nice to have a few of those in positions of power these days.

7. I've talked a number of times about how fearful and anxious I am in general and how much of my brain space is used to work through that. I am not medicated for those feelings but, as so many people turn to medication for this sort of thing, I wonder and weigh the pros and cons. This piece from Shakesville about how we teach people (especially male people) to deal (or not deal)  with feelings of fear was a HELL YES moment for me. "...it is easier to maintain an identity that is rooted in not being fearful, even though fear is a normal part of human experience."

8. A teacher friend of mine spoke this weekend of being more afraid of being unable to protect her students than of putting her own kid in the care of his school. This article, syndicated on Blogher, expressed similar fears. I wanted to comment and let the writer know she's not alone but when I tried comments were broken. I hope she knows.

9.  Julie took a relatively brave step in writing about her feelings both for the victims and the shooter.

10. Let's end at 10 and let's do it with music. Maggie posts playlists every week. Last week's is called All is Calm All is Bright.