Sprinkles hit the ceiling of the old great room of the home built in 1850, as rain is tapping on the tin roof above my head. I sit here in silence as my eyes gaze around the room in awe of the craftsmanship of intertwined decorative slats, a massive stone fireplace, and a carved star mounted to the ceiling to designate where to find the North Star.
Rich History
Worn red antique rugs cover the wooden floors. Kerosene lanterns are mounted to the walls, never removed when newfangled electricity was added. An old fringe-shaded Victorian lamp stands at attention in the corner by the diamond-paned windows, surrounded by furniture made from twigs, an antique chessboard, a stuffed hawk, and a scale model of a classic wooden boat.
This old lake home and its contents have not changed much since the place was built, other than plumbing and electricity added. The long dining room that could seat 20 was once alive with the conversations of the six families who have lived here in the past 170 years and their guests, and it’s my desire to have multiple generations of my family carry on the tradition.
In Search of the ‘Golden Pond’ Life
When my dad first discovered this lake after a search to find a place like the movie On Golden Pond, his goal was to keep his family here for generations, as many of the families on this lake have done. There is peace and rejuvenation and solace in the lake’s beauty, and in the sense of tradition.
For me this place is more important than any on earth I’ve discovered so far. The air and water are pure and cleansing to the body and the mind. Three months here, even though I’m working, provides the battery recharge to be able to mentally take on any challenge in the coming year, especially in an election year with the fallout from whatever happens.
Let’s NOT Talk Politics
In case you haven’t noticed, I avoid politics like a root canal. I don’t like to talk about it, watch it, or be a part of it. If you’re thinking I’m about to make a statement about last week’s debates, the current situation, who I loathe or who I support, you’ll never hear that from me.
I don’t like politicians, but I’m grateful there are people willing to subject themselves to life under a microscope in service of their country. As I’ve stated before, I was offered a chance to run for U.S. Senate and turned it down because I can’t imagine a more horrible life.
Change Your Mind
Here’s the thing … no one can ever change your mind. Only you can change your mind, and that rarely comes from someone trying to convince you. Change comes only when you use your own brain, have an “aha moment,” and are willing to challenge your own possibly lifelong assumptions because you took the time to keep your mind open and to study for yourself.
Me trying to use my platform to get you to vote for someone would be foolish. I need every reader or customer I have. Why would I irritate half of them by revealing my political stance? I guess I’m just not rich or famous enough to not care.
Politicians Make Me Giggle
It makes me giggle when politicians try to pretend to be ordinary people who can relate to us. You know, “I used to work the coal mines before walking 10 miles to school in a blizzard, and then I’d work 15-hour days on weekends to earn money to support my mother and my 18 brothers and sisters.” I’m sure some really did have modest starts in life. But once they became elected officials at a high enough level, they became part of an elite class with privileges none of us can imagine. I’m sad to say that I tend to think most of those life stories are made up, designed to get us to relate to them. It doesn’t work.
Welcome to Political Season
So as we enter this political season, when the media ramps up the rhetoric and tells you why one candidate is like Hitler and the other is perfect — all designed to get ratings up and keep you watching intently — I want to offer some advice. Oh, it’s not voting advice. I’ll continue to love you no matter how you vote.
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- Use your brain. Don’t trust anything anyone tells you. Find out for yourself.
- Avoid extremes. If people are making crazy statements about a candidate, ask why.
- Study the opposite point of view. I get fresh content from X (formerly Twitter) and can read up on the other side of the story. Don’t assume you know. There are smart people for and against any candidate. Find out why. Read their opinions. Don’t just go with the party line.
- Avoid “9 out of 10 say this” arguments. Just because someone is a scholar or an expert does not make them right. Nine out of 10 Harvard professors don’t have to worry about how to pay your rent.
- Don’t let them tug at your heartstrings. Politicians love to use children as pawns. You know, “kids in cages,” that kind of thing. Do you think anyone running our government would actually let that happen?
- Ask yourself: What do they have to lose? Why are they trying so hard? Is it really about the future of the country? Or the future of their own power and position?
- Don’t get emotional. We’re easily controlled when we’re emotional.
- Follow the money. Almost always, money is the motivation behind everything.
- Avoid peer pressure. Vote your heart. Don’t pick a candidate because your friends think they are cool.
A Leader at the United Nations
I once met a very wise and powerful woman who knew every world leader of her time, including every living past president or national leader, because of her work in the UN. After a visit by the president of a major country, she was asked this one question: “Would you trust this man with your grandchildren’s lives?” Her answer: “Not for a moment.”
Who would you trust with your family? Is your quick answer based on something someone else told you? Or something you learned on your own?
The Goal of the Media
I grew up working in the media. Most of the people I worked with would do anything for an extra rating point. I mean anything, even something illegal if they knew they wouldn’t get caught. The media’s sole job is to make you watch more, build the ratings, and get you into an emotional state so you’ll keep coming back for more. Watching just 15 minutes of any news broadcast can put you into a hypnotic state and keep you there for hours. The same is true for social media.
Wouldn’t it be nice if everything wasn’t about party lines? Wouldn’t it be refreshing if someone said, “The other side is right this time”? But that rarely happens anymore. Things are overly polarized.
Remember Independence Day
I’m not referring to last Thursday, I’m referring to the true meaning of independence. Preservation of our country is critical. No candidate will be perfect. Both will make terrible mistakes. No matter who wins, the media will love them and hate them at times, and they’ll tell you who to love and who to hate. Don’t let them do it. Use your brain.
Don’t Be a Pawn
I can’t watch or listen to anything right-wing or left-wing. I distrust most of what they tell me because they have an agenda that goes beyond driving ratings.There is not a single balanced TV network. I pay attention to a few people who seem to be reasonable and balanced and who are not on TV or radio, then draw my own conclusions. These people are hard to find, and sometimes they lose my trust. Keep an open mind and pray about it.
My Embarrassing Voting Record
I’ll go into a voting booth and lay down my vote, something we should all do so our voice is heard. But there are usually some people on the ballot for local or state positions that I’ve never heard of. I feel bad about that, because too often my votes are based on whose signs stood out the most or if they are a part of my party. Do I know their policies? I’m embarrassed to say I rarely do. We owe our communities and states more than a mere glance and a shoot-from-the-hip vote. These people are determining our taxes and our school policies and our policies regarding the state and the freedom of our communities. And just belonging to a party is no longer a reason to vote for someone; we’re seeing people on both sides betray their own party — for the right reasons, or for the wrong ones.
Take the privilege of voting seriously, as though your life depended on it. But don’t allow yourself to be manipulated. You’re bigger than that.
Eric Rhoads
PS: I walked a thin line here because my intent is to stimulate thought, not try to make you guess my political stance or preference. I will never try to influence you. I just hope more people will stop allowing themselves to be influenced (if that’s even possible).
My heart at the moment is to spend the rest of today on the dock, hoping the rain leaves and the sun comes out, so I can play the rest of the long weekend.
Speaking of play…
Pastel Live, the world’s largest online pastel conference, is taking place in September. If you want to learn to paint, pastel is the easiest medium. You don’t have to learn to mix color — like crayons, you lay down colors and get incredible, vibrant results. You can learn more at pastellive.com.
Realism Live is coming in November and Watercolor Live in January, and our new Acrylic Live in March. You can sign up for any of them now.
Great nonpartisan article! Politics can injure friendships and business relationships so easily..ie Budwieser etc. We are all better off when we keep our opinions sorted out and within a reasonable boundaries and remember that they are just opinions not gospel!
Thank you for the wise advice. Praying for the right out come for this upcoming election.
Mr. Roads ,
Thank You Sir for Helping Me and so many more
To give weight for the up coming Decision that We
All Are Responsible to Make
Hi Eric – I, too, appreciate all you do. You cheered us all on during covid and my skills advanced. Thank you to you and all the artists who contributed their time. I loved you whiteboard talks from the Adirondacks!
I live in the D.C. area. I am voting blue for years to come. We survived the Pentagon terrorist attack and some even deny that happened. No one around here debates that. We literally saw the smoke. Everyone knows folks who were impacted or perished. To deny what violence took place on Jan. 6 is also beyond comprehension . So, regrettably, I am chiming in. I do not plan to be the silent majority during these times,
Art is an endeavor that celebrates both humanity and its ideals. Many thanks for your efforts.
Well said.
Hello Eric,
Well said. There are many small independent news sources available if we just look them up and do our own research online. The younger generation of university students are not following the mainstream media to gain knowledge as they elevate their consciousness. We can all learn from that approach.
Thank you for your thoughtful words and all the work you do for us in the art world and beyond.
Sincerely
Appreciate your comments. You didn’t have to bother and you did. I hope, however, that in all your efforts to stay in the middle, that you weren’t implying that these two candidates are equal. There are, in fact, facts. There were “kids in cages” and there were many attempts to subvert the will of the voters, both in the courts and on the grounds of the Capitol. There were/ are REAL differences between the approaches of these two parties. I’m sure I’m not telling you anything you don’t know, but simply wanted to remind anyone who may have misunderstood you, that all men, parties, painters are not equal. Thanks
I like your way of thinking ,and the way you explain it,I do think that everyone who read it will make the best decision. Good luck to all of us, and mostly for the country
Thank you Eric for the important reminders. I was a Social Studies teacher for 36 years. One of my best students, who was brilliant but said very little in class, came up to me on the last day of school and said “Mrs. Smith, you know I still can’t figure out whether you are a Republican or Democrat!” I was so touched by his comment, and just smiled at him and said “You aren’t supposed to know. You just need the facts and your own mind to make your own decisions, and I trust you to do that.” Today, and for the past 11 years since I retired, I immerse myself in art. My social media is art, my videos (many from Paint Tube) are what I spend time on my screen watching, and I read art books and Plein Air Magazine.
While I still enjoy watching politics in action, (I can’t help myself after spending so long in social studies leadership positions) I try very hard not to let it consume me. It just isn’t worth filling my head with it since my love is oil painting.
And you have been a major force in my art experiences! Thank you! I have been to 3 PACE conventions and have come home to try and apply all I have learned!
Thank you. Well said!
Sorry, but if you thought that an unbiased message you missed the boat. But like you said, you will not change minds. I do however think you might want to reflect on your broad brush lumping media with journalism. They are two separate things and you are right, media folks are devious. Your job as one in the media is to sell us things often whether we need them or not. Journalists are reporters. Thankfully they see their calling as one to report what is happening, not what they think. That is editorializing. Fortunately there are still journalists and you will notice they usually work for not for profit institutions. As one who does command a large presence on media, it is disappointing that you did not take the opportunity to better educate your readers rather than turn them cynical to all news.
Love what you said here Betty. Thanks
Well thought out and stated commentary. I, too, avoid politics on my pages, which are all about art and more art and other artists’ art. Works for me! One slight exception is on July 4th and Veteran’s Day, as both I and my husband are retired military.
I continue to thoroughly enjoy your Sunday Coffee postings with your views on life that is also intertwined with art. We all know that Art expresses life ( ex .Art History). This posting is one of your best regarding life and politics. You offer some very sound advice in this posting. Thank you.
Thank you for this weeks Sunday Coffee!!!!
Eric, you and I are in perfect agreement on politics. My time is far better spent with my family or painting. My take is that this is my country, so if something is wrong with it it’s my fault, not some politician. What can I do? Well, I can vote for who I think is the best candidate. Here in Wisconsin the state has a website that shows the ballot for each voting district, so it’s up to me to find out who those folks are. Then, as a Christian I believe God is in control anyway, so it’s up to me to pray for my country, which is the people in it. I pray they would turn back to God, read their Bibles to gain wisdom, and make wise choices for themselves and those around them.
When I was a teenager my dad took a chance and bought an old cabin in Devils Lake State Park. The risk was the cabin stood on land leased from the state for 99 years about 95 years ago. An ancient summer use cabin furnished in 1910 and never updated. It was great, no work was done there only fun, boating fishing swimming 600 ft granite bluffs to climb, all the mosquitos you could eat. The lease was not renewed, the cottage was sold for scrap lumber and the DNR reverted the land to its natural state, which apparently was an asphalt parking lot. But, some of the best times, we thought it was worth the loss. Anyway, enjoy your days! Cheers, John
Great advice! Sadly, politics can divide family, friendships and, just as importantly, a Country. Lets all get along !
ps. I appreciate your Columns , they are always a joy to read.
Dear Eric,
This is so very well thought out and I commend you for it. If we don’t do our job as an informed citizenry that votes based on our own observations, then we have only ourselves to blame for the future of our country.
Thank you for such a thoughtful essay on politics.
Eric. I haven’t met anyone whose thoughts about politics aligns with mine so closely. Sometimes people get angry with me for not wanting to talk politics.
Thank you for being transparent. You show wisdom.
I have lived through 15 presidents. Not one of them has adversely affected my life. The ones who instituted Social Security and Medicare are allowing me to survive our current economy without being destitute. I hope this remains true. And it will affect how I vote when I ask which party will touch my life and my family’s lives most adversely, including morally, which matters to me.
Enjoy your summer.
I wholeheartedly agree! When exactly did we give up thinking and allow the press and others do our thinking for us? It’s so important to do our research and come to our own conclusions.
Well said Eric.
Until you know who came along I never took sides. As a soldier and later as a state employee I was always registered independent. He changed that with his refusal to accept the people’s will with his prevarication and later denial of the outcome of an election. He changed that when he separated immigrant children from their parents and did in fact put them in cages. He changed that with the deliberate denial of the danger of COVID. I totally agree that the majority of those in politics are shams, spineless, more interested in money and power than in public service but Trump goes far beyond the petty self-interest of the average politician and poses a real threat to people I care about therefore I am obliged to participate beyond simply casting my vote in order to be heard.
Thanks James for injecting some facts where many want to deny them. Indeed, there are such things as facts.
Bold! Spoken from the heart with the intellect of an educated and controlled mind. Well done and peace to all. Go to your studios and leave politics out of your creating selves. HAPPY SUNDAY!
Eric, thank you for sharing your thoughts on the issue of politics. I appreciate your honesty and integrity.
Thank-you, Eric, for sharing a stable perspective on this. As a Canadian, (with family and friends in the States), I can say very little, except agreeing with what you’ve written. Polarization is happening here, as well, and it is both saddening and terrifying at the same time. As a former Pastor once told us, “Just because I preach a sermon, that may not make it true. Always check the Good Book and check it in context.” (paraphrased, as it was a long time ago) America is a beautiful country. Prayers that people will heed wisdom vs emotional politics.
Wonderful article! Thank you for sharing Eric. I agree with all that you said.