September 1, 2023

Whines pollute the air like the noise of a leaf-blower: nasal, pulsating, grinding.

The leaf-blower is a motorized tool that people use because they are too lazy — or, at the most forgiveable, too tired — to pick up fallen leaves with their own labor. 

Whining is a vocal tool that people use because they are too lazy — or, at the most forgiveable, too frightened — to take up responsibility for their own actions. 

“I don’t know why the cat litter box is full. You never told me I had to take care of it.”  Or, “I can’t find my clean socks. Why haven’t you found my socks?” Or, “I could have hit the ball.  The sun was in my eyes.”

During the last days of the August of 2023, here on the North Fork of Long Island, the deciduous trees are preparing to shed their leaves.  The leaf-blowers are being gassed up. Elsewhere, adult men are whining, whining, whining.  For women are accusing them of sexual harassment, threatening to pull off the fig leaf of public respectability that has covered up their sexual power grabs.

Among the men are Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish soccer federation, who planted an unwanted full-frontal kiss on a leading Spanish player during the medals ceremony of the Women’s World’s Cup.  Another man is American, one Kenny Parcell, the president of the National Association of Realtors,  accused of a less visible pattern of sexual harassment and retaliation against complaints.  

Both men were powerful.  They were presidents.  As a result, they had organizations, lawyers, and crisis managers to issue denials, offer the contemporary versions of armor-plated protection, and hoist the pennants of innocence high. 

Yet, rake away the denials.  Poke and pull at the chinks in the armor plates of protection.  Then you will hear the bully’s litany of now familiar whines. “I did nothing wrong… She wanted it… She consented… Vindictive feminists are after me… Cancel culture is after me… I am another innocent man who is being cancelled. I am a martyr.”

Whine, whine, whine.

The nature that we mechanically blow away and bag up is much stronger and more beautiful than these childish blowhards.  Protect it, not them.