Weather Changes, Politics remains

I wrote Friday about having some time over the weekend to do some pleasure driving. I did, but it was only "some" and not enough. My drivetime was cut short due to the snowfall in central Kentucky, where my driving had taken me on Saturday. The first stop was a meeting of the Kentucky Democratic Party State Central Executive Committee, on which I serve as a committeeman representing the Democrats of the Third Congressional District of Kentucky. The meeting lasted about two hours but was not as well attended as usual, probably due to the promise of snow and ice in the forecast. There are about 50 or so voting members from all parts of the Commonwealth - and from all points along the spectrum of political views. A similar meeting, of the Party Chairs of the 120 counties, will be held next Saturday at the same location. Several of this year's statewide candidates are expected to attend, and I will probably drop in as well.

After the meeting, I progressed over to the Bluegrass area around Richmond, then returned somewhat north to the southeast corner of Fayette County, where Man-O-War Boulevard intersects with I-75 and met a friend (and others) for supper (or, as my friend called it, dinner. I explained to her that dinner what the meal one ate with either family or church-folk on Sunday afternoon or evening, and that otherwise, the meal consumed after 5 o' clock any other time is supper. She didn't seem to agree). During our meal, the snow falling outside began to accumulate, adding to the inch or so that was already upon the lawns there in that part of Fayette County. We left the location of the "dinner" and picked up her son from his job at Meijer's, where because of the heavy snow resulting in lighter shopping, workers were being told to go home early. By the time I left Lexington, the snow was beginning to be deep and the roads were beginning to be covered. It was, in a word, beautiful. I paused here and there on my return trip to Louisville, stopping at a restaurant on the west side of Frankfort for a cup of coffee with a friend.

On that west side of Frankfort, the snow was noticeably lighter and the roads were noticeably clearer. That phenomenon increased as one got closer to our Republic's 26th largest city, Louisville-Jefferson County Metro. Of course, had I been riding with Mayor Abramson, I would have to say our Republic's 16th largest city. The Mayor uses funny math in arriving at that accolade for his and my hometown.

And, what a difference a few hours and days can make. Having lunch today in Jarfi's, a Mediterranean restaurant located in the Kentucky Center for the Arts, I interrupted my friend Hazel when, in the distance through the window behind her, I could see the electronic thermometer display in front of the American Home Life Building, the "Rust" building I wrote of several posts back. The thermometer had, at 12:13 p.m. today, turned over from 49 degrees to 50 degrees and I felt that was worthy of an interruption. I did not interrupt a second time, however, when at 12:51 p.m. it notched up yet again to 51 degrees. While winter is not officially over until March 22 or so, today's weather is a far cry from the very cold temperatures we've endured here in the Ohio Valley for several weeks, and all without any great demonstrance of winter's ability to create a deep snowfall. My brother offered a theory that because of nature's desire for balance, and the fact that he has already seen birds flying north - I'm not making this up - our spring will be short, and a hot and dry summer is forthcoming in response to the very wet fall and very cold winter we've had during the last six months or so.

My brother has several theories on any number of ideas and is willing to share them at any notice, or more often without any notice whatsoever. He can talk for hours at a time about rather obscure subjects, citing along the way books and magazines, and more often than not, either the Discovery Channel or the History Channel, or both, as the sources of his knowledge. As I am not a subscriber to the local cable service, given that my possession of a television set is limited to a 13" screen TV which presently has a home in the closet of the front bedroom of my home, I cannot attest to his theories as based on shows watched on either of these networks. His theories usually have some relation to nature, the Bible, or military history. While he and I are different in many ways, we both share a very strong interest in our origins and those of the creatures big and small with whom we share planet Earth. It is mostly in how we access this information, and how we relay our interests to others where the differences between us are notably apparent.

The one thing Kevin is not terribly interested in is politics. Unlike Tip O' Neill's "all politics is local," Kevin believes "all politics are corrupt, and all politicians corrupted." As a result, we tend not to discuss such matters. Knowing what I do know about Kevin, I would say he is a left-leaning libertarian if he is anything. But that is a reach. He is almost apolitical, which is a state of mind I of which I cannnot conceive. And, it must be wearing off. When his oldest daughter registered to vote, she chose to be an Independent. Later this year in August, my oldest nephew will come of age and as such can participate in this year's election. When informed of this at a family Christmas gathering, he responded he wasn't interested. He did allow that he might register in time to vote for president in 2008, but that he hadn't yet made that decision. Again, I can't conceive of such non-interest.

But then I am a politician, and under my brother's understanding of such, I have already been corrupted by politics and so my unbelief in such non-interest is entirely expected. Lord, help me in my unbelief.