JUST HANG ON

[FCTP]

This weekend our community website was flowing with robust conversations about various issues.  Two people in different places on our website asked this question:  “Does the tea party care about this issue???  It is important!”  They were angry that we were not focusing on their passion and I felt we had let them down.

 

As I watched the conversations flow, I put my head down on my desk and felt like giving up.  Not only did I feel defeated, I am sick.  The “yellow snow” on our cars has taken its toll on my body.  This time of year is bad for those of us with allergies and this year is a doozie! 

 

It was so bad, I made an appointment with the ear, nose and throat specialist last week and he didn’t have much hope to give me.   A squeeze of some nose drops to keep me going until the yellow stuff passes.   That was it – no magic pill was going to cure me.  He smiled as I looked at him pleading for more than that and he said – “This is that time of year when you have to hold on and wait for it to pass.  You’ll get through it.”  (He’s a conservative doctor and although I love conservatives – he didn’t make me happy that day!)

 

With my head on my desk, his words echoed in my head –  “Just hang on.”

 

Remember the lyrics to this song:   Let’s hang on to what we’ve got, Don’t let go, girl; we’ve got a lot.  Got a lot of love between us.  Hang on, hang on, hang on, to what we’ve got.

 

I saw Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons years ago and remember how that song made me feel.  Here was a guy who wouldn’t give up on his girl.  He wanted her to hang on and focus on the things that were positive. They had good stuff going on and he didn’t want her to throw it away.

 

Just hang on.

 

Three little words can keep us going in the tea party movement.  We may get sideways with each other.  We may not always agree.  We may not be doing what you want us to do.  But hang on, we’ve got a lot of love between us!  We love America.  We love Freedom.  We love Liberty.  We love each other because we are fighting the battle against socialism together.  Some of us didn’t even know each other two years ago and now we are in the trenches working side by side to save America.  Wow.

 

Just hang on – we have a lot of work to do.

 

As my head kept repeating Just Hang On over and over again, I lifted my head and put my hands on the keyboard to send a message.  We are not going anywhere and we need you to come along. 

 

If you have an issue that drives you crazy or  you are passionate about– let us know.  We’ll help you start a team to research it and take action about it.  We are a small group of volunteers and we cannot possibly do everything you want us to do.  When we fail you, it pains us so we welcome your support and your time to get things done. 

 

If you want to be a “Twenty Percenter “ – we sure could use you.  You know the rule – 20% do the work while 80% tell you how to do it.  Contact our office at [phone] and tell us what you want to focus on. 

 

We may not always please you.  We may not always make the right decisions.  We may not always be doing enough for the cause.   But know one thing – we are doing what we can and we will not give up. 

 

We have a lot of work to do. 

 

So, let’s hang on together.

 

P.S. – I know you are singing it – so here you go.  Enjoy the rest of your day as you Hang On To What We’ve Got

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KuuZtFCes4&feature=related

[Wild Bill]

Well said Billie J! 

My mission is to encourage and strengthen the Tea Party and I am going to join you in doing that.

The Tea Party is a "newborn"...just learning to walk and talk and we have lots of passionate people who want results.  I count that as a strength.  Meanwhile, just like dealing with a newborn, there will be some "bratiness" that will test our patience. 

 

I'm doing Tea Party video blogs here in Daytona.  I really enjoy your posts and your enthusiasm.  Your work is gold!  And don't worry, the "brats" will mature and find their path within our movement, till then....."just hang on".  God Bless

[tamara stephenson]

thanks Billie.  appreciate your words of encouragement.

[Kay Ragan Durden]

You don't get it RJ," Humility is a strength not a weakness."  You must not know Mike Hogan because if you did you would know he is a man of his word.   Never fear, if the men and women we elect don't do what they are elected to do, the Tea Party will work to defeat them next time.  We are not here for the short run, we are here to stay!!

[John Harvel]

Billie... The late Dale Earnhadt said, " I don't care if they are booing or cheering as long as they are making noise." It's a great forum for collecting pearls. Believe me... you are winning... yellow snow or not. The thing that fascinates me about this website is the higher IQ level of participants compared to other sites I visit. These debates or discussions carry with it the making of a dream team. Don't mess with genius, antagonize it and sit back and enjoy it... Thanks 

[Kurt D Wullenweber]

Ms. Jankowski, I agree with you 100 % in your opinions and your decisions, it is exactly what the Tea Party has been about - educating the public so that YOU may make YOUR best decision on YOUR vote.

What does anything you say here have to do with the subject of Billie's blog entry?

I believe this is exactly what Billie is referring to, she does her best, she works herself beyond exhaustion and she gets far too little thanks for what she's done.

 

Your well thought out and well written post should be a blog entry of it's own.

[R. Jankowski]

We are, oftentimes, our own opponent.  We allow others to make decisions for us, going along because the promise is appealing, but regretting our direction when we see that our own values appear to be compromised.  We struggle where there should be no resistance and we become complacent when we feel there is no place to go. 

 

As an example, the Tea Party endorsement of Hogan.  The reasons listed include his "humility"?  His willingness to talk to others.  Are you kidding?  In many cases, humility means you will be deferring to others because you are unable to lead.  A willingness to talk to others may in fact denote a lack of determination to act - so talking may lead to others making those decisions - and you can appear more inclusive while allowing others to make decisions you are unable to make.  Do we want that?

 

Don't we want a Mayor who has ideas of his own and will not do a lot of compromising when it comes to our tax dollars and the money Jacksonville is wasting on non-productive ventures?  We have 7500 city employees (Moran), what is the mayor going to do to cut our city costs in this regard?

 

A loss of $3.3M in stimulus money should not be a sphincter moment, "Oh no!  What ever shall we do?"  It should be a cleansing moment, realizing that we are out from under the thumb of Federal control.  That was "our" money.  Now it is spent.  It does NOT need to be replaced with more money.  We need to do with less.  The educational system in Duval county does not need an infusion of new funds - but rather an infusion of new ideas!  Where are the jobs we are educating our youth to take upon graduation?  What about a medical school in Jacksonville?  What about corporate sponsoors for schools when that corporation is preparing the students to, one day, fill jobs that are here, at home?

 

Further, when is any type of hate joke tolerated by the people in Jacksonville, let alone the rank and file of what is becoming the largest grass roots organization of our generation?  There should be no joking about death of any kind nor any type of reference to the willing destruction of property.  What kind of person makes statements in the attempt to win over a section of the voting public (e.g., considering bombing an abortion clinic).  Is he simply telling you what he knows you want to hear, now?  What about later - when taxes are raised to keep up the status quo?  What story or colorful anecdote will he use then?

 

We don't need someone who will fighting to get Jacksonville's Fair Share of state money, we need someone who can budget and cut, so we can live within our means.  We need to rethink our priorities for this city and county so that, in future, we can grow without fear of being overrun by our liabilities.

 

When you go to the polls - whether early or on the 22nd, vote YOUR heart and not what someone told you to vote.  Believe in yourself and your candidate.  I will not be voting for this body's candidate.

[Kurt D Wullenweber]

We can't thank you enough, Billie!

I'm sure we all know how you feel, we've all been there. But we can take a break when it becomes overwhelming.

Why don't you take a break? You've sure as hell earned it!

[Judith C Kelsey]

Thank you, Billie J!

We needed that encouragement and support.  We are all trying, and yes, some of us have "pet" topics that we are fearful that the Tea Parties need to understand better, as our "opponents" often seem to be winning.  So many just don't know the arguments, the facts; and we need to get the word out, in order to stop government intrusion into all aspects of our lives.