The Twilight Zone!

They say that there is nothing new under the sun and if you live long enough you will see things from the past reemerging.  Well…the past just showed up.   For those of us who have seen it before this new “old stuff” just has a new set of clothes on, a haircut or designer nails.  But at the end of the day…it’s the same old stuff that projects prejudice, injustice and discrimination.  To a younger generation this “old stuff” is new and has them on edge and asking…“what gives?” 

It reminds me of a television show series from the late 1950’s to 1964 called the ‘Twilight Zone,’ created by Rod Serling.  This series achieved popularity and critical success while introducing us all to science fiction and to new ways of envisioning things.  Each episode focused on a particular genre, including horror, fantasy, science fiction, suspense or a psychological thriller; and often concluded with an unexpected twist and moral lesson.  What made this weekly series so interesting to me were the unique introductions, including…“You are about to enter another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination.  Next stop, the Twilight Zone!” 

Weather the “zone” is real or not, people are feeling out of sort these days.  And with so much going on and taking all the headlines it is no wonder people are on edge, looking for some relief and better times.  People are upset at all the empty rhetoric, broken promises, repeal and replace of Obamacare, filling the swamp, political posturing, fake news stories, false allegations and ongoing investigations.  And just wait; there is more coming that will impact our climate, financial systems, retirements and education. 

What seems to be missing in all of this, overlooked or not talked about during these days is the growing rate of poverty, increased drug use and overdoses, expanding prison incarceration, lack of reentry programs, escalating gun violence, rising mental health challenges and finding affordable housing.  We can all agree that these are interesting times in our American discourse and for a number of us we are just waiting for the next headache, shoe to drop or subplot to appear.  How we move forward and what we expect to happen next is anyone’s guess.  Of course, we do not know the ending of this saga, but it is going to be one for the ages.  Perhaps we have already arrived at our… next stop!