Politics and Yarn

I am dreading the vice presidential debates tonight. Bernie and I will no doubt watch. It is our anniversary. Not a good way to celebrate our 47 years.

He and I talked this morning about this political climate. I had read a humorous article on the numerous ways we citizens are dependent on government as we go about our daily lives. He had read one on truth-speaking in campaigns and the fact that all sides will lie and distort facts in order to get elected. Neither of the articles were partisan, both insightful, and neither offered any hope for change. This is the way it is, they both seemed to be saying.  I feel like we Americans, as we have tried to develop this democracy, have gotten ourselves into a tangled mess. We are burdened with legislation passed to solve problems only to create others. No one party is to blame. It happened.

A Story:

Years ago, a friend of mine whose name was Jeannie brought over to my house two big bags of tangled yarn, each twice the size of a pillow case. Both our families were young and living on the edge of poverty and she was so excited to tell me that she’d payed only $1 for each bag. “All we have to do is untangle the yarn and roll it into balls and we can make all sorts of things out of it,” she said.

So the two of us set to untangling. Each committing to one bag, we’d grab hold of a piece of  yarn, light blue for example, and back it up below, under, around all the reds and whites and yellows and browns, occasionally untying a knot that had formed, but never cutting. As we freed the yarn, we wound it into balls. When we finally found the end of a thread there was great rejoicing. We set the one ball alongside the large tangled mass yet to tackle. Over time, more and more single-colored balls formed and the tangled mass got smaller and smaller. Eventually, the job was done. Instead of the tangled masses we had a whole bunch colorful balls, some large, some small but each separate from the other. Then we  picked up our crochet hooks and began reconfiguring the yarn into afghans, sweaters, ponchos, scarves and hats. It was an awesome enterprise.

I don’t know. I just like remembering the story today.