Stones Like These

I’m a white middle class comfortable past-middle-aged man. I don’t deserve to complain.

But . . .

I’m tired right now of shoveling snow: we’ve had this precipitation falling for more than half of the days in December, and it is falling heavily now. Today alone, I have cleared the path to Walden twice thus far, and the woods are dark and deep, and there are miles to go before I sleep.

And I’m tired of the wars.

And now I read that the disgraced (shall I say, disgraceful) governor of Illinois has nominated Roland Burris to fill the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, despite the fact that there seems to be no possibility that the legislature of Illinois would consent to any choice for the Senate that Blagojevich might make. I mean, no one has come forward to announce their support for the candidacy despite Burris’ qualifications for it. And so I have at least one big question: why would Burris ever agree to the nomination in the first place knowing the context in which his nomination occurs? Why align himself with this disgraced and disgraceful man? Why place himself in the midst of this stinking mess? Why take a nomination doomed to go nowhere, and align himself with such a creep. And not even an intelligent one, at that. What could Burris possibly gain from his entry into this absurdity?

I am so befuddled and confused. I want absolution!!