Why Joe Biden Made Me Sad Today...

I just watched Joe Biden on "The View"- I think it aired last week, but I'm just now getting around to seeing it.

It's already a dreary day around here.  It snowed last night- (snowed?!!), it's been cloudy and cold all day, and now, it's raining.  And the weather matches my mood.

I was folding laundry downstairs in our basement, and I always like to watch TV when I do that.  It's a way of indulging with a tv show in the middle of the day, but not feeling guilty for doing it because, hey! I'm doing laundry.

Similiar to when I've listened to Beto O'Rourke speak, when I see Joe Biden, I tend to tear up.  With Beto, it's because he's so optimistic and hopeful, and it makes me really want the good in the world to win.  So I guess those tears he brings to my eyes have to do with "YES! Something like this is a real possibility!"

But today, seeing Biden, I was tearful, but in a different way. Today, when I saw Joe Biden answering to accusations about women who have accused him of, I guess, invading their personal space- it made me sad.  The way I see it is, Mr. Biden is a sweet and caring human.  He's known great sadness in his own life, and so he has a special gift of wanting to comfort other people when they are going through a difficult situation.  The way things are these days, everyone has to be so cautious about how they interact with others.  One thing I know for sure is Joe Biden is no Harvey Weinstein.

Mr. Biden said that just before he walked onto the stage to greet the hosts of The View, who he considers friends, he had to rethink how he normally would greet them.  Rather than hugs, he mainly just clutched their hands.

I taught 1st and 2nd grade many years ago.  At the end of each school year, I would host a sleep over at my house.  It was super fun, and I think, meaningful.  Many of those kids had never slept away from home before.  When we had the slumber party, they got to be with all of their friends plus their teacher and have a great party to cap off the year we spent together, learning how to read and to be nice human beings.  Obviously, times have changed, and if I were a teacher today, I would NEVER have a slumber party.

It makes me sad that the sweet human connections are getting lost due to the weirdos of the world.  Men have to be so cautious in how they treat women, and adults have to be so careful about the physical affection they show to any kid- that isn't their own.

I don't want Joe Biden to stop being Joe Biden. And I don't want him to have to apologize for being a sweet and affectionate person.  I want love and kindness to rule the world.  And yeah, I know, I'm living in a fantasy world to even think that's possible.