Must be a Blue Moon

Every rare now and again you hear the phrase, “Once in a Blue Moon”, referring to the oddity of such an occurrence. In actuality it means that there will be a full moon twice in a calendar month; but most folks use it when talking about something truly odd; not necessarily having anything to do with the phases of the moon.

Years ago I had a police extra job directing folks into the Memorial Professional Building garage. There were two main entry drives, one for customers to use and the other for doctors and others with VIP status. I’d wave to anyone entering, nothing special, just being friendly.

There was one of the VIP types who drove a brown Lincoln who’d sneer at me when I would wave, as if some sort of class distinction existed which precluded her returning any such familiarity. I’d wave at her anyway and never let it bother me as the years went by. One day she must have forgotten to put starch in her underwear as she accidentally waved back.

I took out my pocket calendar and jotted a quick note in the square for that day. I noticed the woman in the brown Lincoln nearly had a wreck while driving up the ramp to the next floor, all the while trying to see what I was doing in her rear view mirror. A few minutes later she made it a point to confront me, asking; no, demanding to see what I’d written about her. I took out my pocket calendar, doing my best to keep from laughing as a huge smirk took the corners of my smile past respectable.

“She waved back”, was all I’d written. I explained in simple terms, how I’d waved to her for quite some time and that there must be a Blue Moon out for her to have chosen that particular day to wave back. She never forgot to wave from that day on, a lesson on being friendly that hit the mark.

I’ve gone around the long route to explain what a Blue Moon means. In today’s Houston Chronicle I read an op-ed piece by E. J. Dionne Jr. titled, “We can blame ourselves for abortion shuffle in politics” (linked via title bar). I should mention that I instantly related to that woman in the brown Lincoln because I have little if any use for the opinions and articles written by that moron.

I can hear Marshall Sam McCloud’s chastisement from the old television series, “There ya’ go; getting’ all riled up…” I suppose my conservative leanings are so antagonized by most of what E. J. Dionne Jr. writes as to discount nearly anything he has to offer. My apologies for calling him a moron; blithering idiot might sound a tad less offensive. “Now, there ya' go agin’” My dad has his own way of reminding me, “But he always has the nicest things to say about you…”

There must be a Blue Moon out because I actually agreed, at least in part, with what he had to say today. I’ll wash my mouth out with soap later and repent for having said that; but here’s what he said:

“But there is something systematic about the willingness of politicians to adapt their views on abortion to suit the preferences of whatever electorate they are facing at any given time. The reason: Our political system has created strong incentives for candidates to be less than candid about what they really think.”

He went on to explain the conservative view point on abortion with clarity of thought and then the liberal view point on “a woman’s right” with equal clarity followed by his concluding statement:

“But it's easy for me to take this less-than-pure position. I don't have to run in a primary. As for the politicians, we have created a system that encourages many in their ranks to adjust their convictions to their political needs. And then we denounce them.”

There are very few politicians with the courage to state their beliefs and hold to those basics without waffling in order to pander votes. I’m admitting my sophomoric attitude toward one of the dirtiest rackets ever played or entered into. In the back of my mind I see the need for congressmen and senators to ride off into the sunset riding on a white horse; knowing that when they complete the race we need to check for signs of doping or other clandestine operations implemented in order to win the day, how unfortunate.

Okay, EJ, you can mark this day down in your book, “He agreed with me”.