The Hypocrisy of the Duke & Duchess of Sussex

 

One would have to have been stranded on an uncharted island to be unfamiliar with the media frenzy pertaining to the grievances of the Duke & Duchess of Sussex. One would think they’d been stripped of their titles, cast adrift with nary a cent, forced to panhandle for spare change at random off ramps in a California while living in a tent city under an overpass- all while professing how they live a selfless life of service whilst filled with fear over random acts of violence merely because of their celebrity.

Apparently, this duo fail to appreciate the number of billionaires, multi millionaires, A-List celebrities, scions of other royal families, and children of other high profile persons who live within the state of California.

By virtue of my job over the last 40 years, not to mention media, I am well aware that there are residents of LA, Santa Barbara, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Mountain View, Brentwood, Malibu, Palo Alto and numerous other enclaves that have more money, higher profiles, better credentials, greater philanthropy, more visibility, are more controversial and are are more likely to be targets of violence than these two who apparently feel compelled to tell everyone just how oppressed, service oriented and at risk they are in their compound. 

Dialogue from The Scottish Play comes to mind regarding he/she/they/its protest too much. Consider these individuals who live in the USA who have far more assets than Team Sussex, engender more publicity but support world wide charities yet do not complain:  Jeff Bezos, Bill & Melinda Gates, Mackenzie Scott, Warren Buffet, Michael Bloomberg, Mark Zuckerberg & Priscilla Chan, the Walton family, Michael & Susan Dell, the DeVos family, the Koch family, David Geffen, George Soros, Pierre Omidyar, the  Marcus family, Chuck Feeney, the Hilton family, the Hewlett-Packard Foundation, the Lilly Endowment, the Ford Foundation, the Getty Trust, the Kellogg Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, Heinz Endowments….to name a few.

And what do these philanthropists and humanitarians have in common? They do it mostly quietly, without self promotion, without complaining about perceived wrongs and trying to create personal wealth while pretending to perform service, with cameras commemorating every move. 

And then there are the everyday humanitarians that volunteer locally, donate to church/food banks/ community organizations/ museums/ homeless shelters/ schools/ universities/ the United Way, Go Fund Me/ addiction centers/ etc. without any recognition. 

The survival of the British Monarchy is not something that is likely to impact my life or that of the ordinary American. But, self promoting, self indulgent, self-possessed, wealthy, hypocritical bellyachers do not appeal to pull yourself up by your bootstraps Americans. 

In case one wonders, I do not watch reality TV. As such, I have not scene the Sussex show, the  Kardashians, any real housewives, Honey BooBoo, or Survival shows. Okay, I did watch What Not To Wear😎

 

The Christmas Spirit

 As 2022 comes to a close I want to wish everyone peace, contentment, good fortune, health, happiness, joy, enough food, shelter, warmth, kindness, resiliency, hope, electricity, safety, comfort, freedom from oppression, enlightenment, the ability to let go of anger and resentment, and safety.

I know it is a huge ask that the Universe, one’s higher power, governments, talking heads, social media pundits, warring tribes, Putin, political adversaries, dumb bunnies, smart alecks, obnoxious sorts, evil doers, partisans, warmongers, thieves, politicians, power players, ne’er do wells, scofflaws, cretins, and anybody who would harm children, the elderly, those who have physical or mental challenges or household pets to try, even just a little, to do the next right thing.

But in the words of Neil Armstrong, ‘ One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’. Take one small step. Practice a small, random act of kindness. Pass it on. Pay it forward. Smile at a stranger. Open a door for somebody. Round up for charity. It is the little things that make the world a better place.

Be a gracious loser. Admit when you are wrong. Forgive. Let it go. Over tip. Say thank you. Recognize that you are more fortunate than somebody else no matter you challenges. Try not to judge unless you’ve walked in somebody else’s shoes or know what goes on behind closed doors. Clean up your own side of the street. Embrace the spirit of the holiday season no matter your beliefs. We are all members of the human race and each of us deserves consideration. ❤️💙

Reminders of the Necessity of Self Care & Gratitude

  It’s funny where we find reminders of the challenges to living a life of positivity, the importance of self care, and maintaining an attitude of gratitude. I subscribe to The The Well Dressed Life, a blog and Facebook group by Megan Kristel, who.launched her personal style business, Kristel Closets, in the Philadelphia area in 2006. Now, at age 43, she provides style tips and shopping suggestion for the “every woman” over 40.  Here is a link to the website. https://thewelldressedlife.com/.

Having previously been a follower of Brenda Kinsel, the author of several wonderful books, including 40 Over 40, who sadly succumbed to cancer in Autumn 2020, I’d already learned what works for me from a fashion perspective. But, who doesn’t love a blog that tells where all of the best sales can be found every Sunday?

This morning I read Megan’s post titled The Year I Burnt It To The Ground about her journey to letting go of toxic relationships, working on self care and finding a new way to live with gratitude. That resonated with me because I’d experienced a similar reset at about the same age, hitting the reboot button and recalibrating who I wanted to be, how I wanted to live, and what steps I had to take to get there. 

I was fortunate to have my Al Anon family group provide support along the way and impress upon me that life is a journey that would require constant work to live a life of serenity. Reading Megan’s post reminded me that every time someone bravely shares such a journey, they give hope to others.

So, I continue to share bits of my journey and tools I use to keep on a positive path with wellness, happiness, abundance and gratitude.

* let go of resentments,..forgive yourself for being imperfect

* love your neighbor or family member, but sometimes at a distance. Detach with love

* make a gratitude list

* let go of people, places & things over which you have no control. Essentially everything but your own attitude or reaction.

* practice yoga or take a walk or meditate or run or perform community service or get a massage or take vitamins. 

* tell your loved ones how much you love them, often.

* eat healthy foods, but indulge in a piece of pie/ cake/ cheesecake/ cookie/ chocolate occasionally

 

* turn off the TV, put down the phone or iPad, limit social media, go outside and absorb the beauty of our world 

* read a book

* pick up the phone and talk to people instead of sending a text or email.

* send someone an actual card through the mail

* try something
* share your life with  a dog, cat, hamster, fish, bunny or another sentient being.

* be kind, do the next right thing, avoid somebody else’s drama

* laugh 

Just a few things that have helped me on my journey, which continues each minute, hour, day….