Monday, August 31, 2015

Happy Birthday - Molly Ivins

Molly Ivins (August 30, 1944 – January 31, 2007)

Today would have been Molly Ivins' 71st birthday. I miss her wit and wisdom almost all the time, but especially during election season. I think she'd had such a fun time with the current crop of candidates.

When I was a teenager I was one of those weirdos who read the newspaper on a pretty regular basis. Not front to back, of course. I'd scan the headlines, read the letters to the editor, flip to the comics, and then looks for a column from Molly Ivins. She always hit the nail on the head when it came to calling out the ridiculousness of whatever was going on in this country's political realm. I found reading her words energized me, and while she was quite often addressing a depressing topic, she never failed to bring her brand of humor to the fight.


“So keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't you forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was.” Molly Ivins
I know it's not always fun to be fighting the good fight. Very often it's tedious and frustrating. And too often it's complete bullshit that we have to still have this same damn conversation over and over and over and over...

But I think in between the times where we're filled with righteous anger we have to find periods of joy in knowing we're doing something positive, each in our own small way. And that, my friends, is what keeps me going -- these moments of outrageous, ridiculous fun.

Happy birthday, Molly, wherever you are. I hope you're whoopin' and hollerin' and having a grand old time!

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