Glued

Back in the day, 1950, one of the first televised congressional hearings was chaired by Senator Estes Kefauver regarding organized crime.  Maybe it was because my mother was raised in the Chicago area and a lot of the names were familiar to her or possibly because of the uniqueness of the situation, but she sat glued to the television for days.  Other than "I take the fifth," the only thing I remember about that time (I was ten years old) is my mother's fascination and complete concentration.  The reason it is memorable to me is because I was having trouble trying to build my first box kite.  I asked Mother for help, but she just shushed me and waved me away.  The kite took a dive on its first flight and crashed.  So much for box kites.  By the time of the McCarthy hearings in 1954 and his "witch hunt" (such a much-used term today) for Communists, I'd learned not to bother Mother and, besides, I was past building kites.

I gained a much better understanding of her fascination yesterday as it was my turn to sit glued to the television to watch the Judicial Committee hearing regarding the current nominee for the Supreme Court.  There have been other televised hearings in years past on this subject; I can only assume I was working and did not watch.  Regardless of which side of the political fence one falls, this was, in so many ways, history in the making and could affect America for decades to come.  It's not like I didn't have other things to do, but nothing, but nothing got done yesterday.  Thankful for the pause button, I rushed through tending the animals and that's about all.  It was a long, long, emotionally tense day.

Early in the morning, Waldo appeared (he's on the left).  His pitiful, ragged condition is a testament to his well-loved attentions.  I keep Waldo II in reserve for Celeste, just in case.