Dear Carolynn

Dear Carolynn

Do you know it’s been almost eight years since we last spoke to each other in the mortal sense?

Firstly, I understood the meaning of the butterfly who escorted me from the front gate to my front door. That was just after your funeral. Not a fun day. Thank you for letting me know that you landed safely because the peace of mind I found knowing that you arrived where you need to be helped the grieving process more that you could ever know.

I’ll never understand those who wronged you when you were a child, nor the ones who didn’t offer supportive love, and those professionals who failed you. Sadly, Carolynn, what happened to you unsurprisingly continues today and still virtually nobody talks openly about something so evil and sinister. Yet, for some reason, we can focus heavily on bloody pronouns. I’ll go into that another time. Kids are hurting and are angry, and all we can do is find reason to punish them instead of lifting them up.

Do you remember how mad the world was before you left? We discussed endlessly then about how nuts everything was, but, wowee, we could never have anticipated what madness was about to be unleashed after you left in May 2017. Thank goodness you have missed it all.

We thought Trump’s election then was going to be a disaster–and it kinda was, but he wasn’t as bad as the nutter who followed him, and because of that nutter, Trump is back! I’m by no means disparaging Biden suffering dementia, though. Seeing him as a human being and the realities of such a cruel condition is heartbreaking. Especially now that Mum has it too, which you wouldn’t know until now.

Believe it or not, I’m pleased the Democrats failed. And, no, I haven’t been hit too hard on the head, and I fully understand why you think I’m now brain damaged. But this is how whacky things are down here now! Trump was the only choice in the long run. What a mess to be better off with that lunatic.

For the record, Trump is a lot better the second time around in some respects, and disgustingly and sickeningly worse in so many other ways. He’s only been in power for a month and it’s already pretty screwy.

I was pleased to hear before the election that he wanted the US to be more of its pre World War 2 self — isolationist—but he’s slipped a few more cogs since then. He wants to make Canada and Greenland the 51st US state. Not sure he’s thought through the maths. I wonder how long before he declares his intention to make Australia the third 51st state?

Also, he wants to remove the Palestinians from Gaza and turn it into a Riviera style place for the elite. Palestinian’s will not be welcomed back. He wants Turkey and Egypt to take them. Or is it Egyptian and Jordan? I can’t remember.

Here’s a question for you? When we were at school, didn’t the US have 51 states then? I’ve asked a lot of people around our age and they seem to remember 51. This could be a spooky Mandela Effect if ever there was 51 . Or the US has forgotten one? That wouldn’t come as a shock.

Oh, and here’s a tripper of a thing that happened just under three years after you passed. They frikken shutdown the world, Carolynn! For months and months. I’m serious! Worse still we had to have passports just to get into a pub after the world was again allowed outside. I reiterate, I’ve not suffered a severe blow to the head. Another subject I’ll go into another time.

I haven’t mentioned to you yet about AI. Just to let you know, all of my letters to you will be written by me and not AI. However, I might use AI in stories as a subbie, and I will acknowledge that where required. I’ll go into AI another time because this paragraph will sound like I’m writing in a different language. Earth, if not blown to smithereens beforehand is going to look, feel and operate so differently in the next few years. Possibly before the end of the year.

Even though I’ve talked to you now-and-then since you crossed over, I haven’t been doing it near enough, so I set up this blog site to write you my thoughts, opinions and share some kooky semi-fictional life-lessons and warnings. This is why the site is called ‘Dear Carolynn’. I hope you don’t mind that I’m going to include others who may want to read my letters to you.

No doubt I’ll write something that will offend someone, piss off someone else, and be cheered by others. It’s become really sad that people are being censored to the point of fearing having an opinion other than the established viewpoint. I remember a time when this was called fascism. Now censorship is called democracy.

Nobody is allowed to safely share an opinion anymore — well without fear of being damaged in some way. For example, if I criticise Israel, I’m antisemitic. Nobody is allowed to refer to the genocide being committed by Israel — which is sadly ironic. Jewish people are Jewish people, Israel though is not representative of the vast majority of decent Jewish people.

Here’s some great news, they finally released Julian Assange. He had to bow down to obtain his freedom, but he’s the one who holds integrity. Next month, RATS (Radio, Advertising, TV Survivors in case you forgot) will have a very special guest — not Assange, but someone who has an interesting story. I’ll write you about it after the RATS lunch.

Anyway, I’ve stayed silent for so long because I don’t want to lose friends or be accused of being something I’m not because I see things through a different lens. But, Carolynn, staying silent is depressing me.

You will, of course, know I was ‘left’ leaning…we both were. I emphasise ‘were’ because at some stage when nobody was looking, somebody changed the rules. I haven’t altered my values but??? Another Mandela Effect? I now sit a little to the right, and, I guess, those on the right are now on the left. At least I think so. I’m so confused.

There is also a much bigger fight between the right and the left, or is that left and right? Anyway, I don’t even know if there’s such a thing anymore as moderate. It’s just extremes. We’ve lost the ability to think critically and listen to the points of view of others without each side calling each other out for being dangerous.

Anyway, you’ve probably got a gallery seat to it all now and, if so, you’d be pleased you are in the audience as opposed to still being one of the cast on the stage that is this kooky planet. But in case you are overly censored up there as well, I’ll continue to write to you about things that are going on down here, and my thoughts.

My letters won’t always be heavy, though. Send my love to Tess, dad, Cammy and so many others who are there with you. And if The Band is playing a gig tonight, go and see them. We’re running out of musicians here now–alas, AI can do all of that too.

Love you and miss you so much, and I’ll write again soon 🙂 xx

Mark