Do you know how I know ...

The country is fucked? Happened this morning. First time in close to 50 years of life because that's how long I've known this woman, all my bloody life. My old German "aunt" (not by blood but the fact she was my mom's best friend) who lives around the corner.

Now this is a woman (and her late husband) who had "belt privileges" from my parents (you gotta be my age to probably understand that). They had full parental responsibility and if they felt the need to kill me when I was young, they would only have had to explain to my parents why. We are that close.

Well, today I had to take her to a doctors appointment, to the vampire to have some blood drawn, because her son (my best friend) couldn't get off work to take her (she doesn't drive, ever since The Great Station Wagon/Motorcycle Incident of 1970 - another post, maybe at F&G). So that's when it happened, when I was driving her home. Once sentence from her as I waited at the train crossing.

"You know, this Republican bullshit is really pissing me off."

Now, these few words rocked my world on several levels, at least as much as the earthquake a couple weeks ago.

First: Let's take note of the use of the word "bullshit". This is the 3rd time (in close to 50 years) I heard her use the word "shit"; never with a modifier attached. A devout Roman Catholic, member of the church choir, dragged herself to church every Sunday, even while undergoing chemo for a tumor in her leg. Lives Jesus' word (the Jesus I learned about, mostly from her) and works to help the poor and her fellow congregants. She is a really good person. And she doesn't curse (a sin, don'tcha know). I walked home a few nights with a palm print on my cheek thanks to my frequent use of "fuck". "Pissing me off" is just dressing (she'd gone all the way with "bullshit"), probably learned from us or her grandchildren.

Second: Let's back up to the word "Republican". This is not a political woman. She is a farmer's wife. She came here from a little town outside Munich before meeting her husband, who was from a place that would become the East Zone after the war. He was a chicken farmer. His father was a chicken farmer in Germany and they came here and built a chicken farm in the late 1920s. They came from a Germany where kings and queens ruled still. They knew what it was like for their property to be part of one kingdom or duchy one year and another the next. They didn't care who was in power as long as none of them decided to take their stuff. They were the same way after they came here. They were never political, just hard working folks (16 hour days were normal; 18 - 20 regular). They raised two great kids and she enjoys playing grandma to 5 grandchildren. She ain't political.

Until now.

So what would cause a woman who never cared about what goes on in Washington, suddenly pay attention after 80-plus years of ambivalence?

They're trying to take her stuff. The stuff she and her husband broke their asses for, for over 60 years. If she knows it, and is angry about it, you know a lot of people are. Yer damn right Barry better listen to the people instead of the weasels who run around in the White House. If my Tante is mad at you, the end is near.