Dear Debate Club, Please Accept

Life can’t be endless debateseach one definitively decidedby carefully constructed reason,by luminously latticed logic.

If only it were all so dignified,victory breathing clearly,never smugly, defeat cleanlywreathed snugly in acceptance.

But even Great Debates weren’t debates.Lincoln-Douglas? Not unlessdebates-turned-bloody-hates count,resentments raining reigning sixteen decades on.

Even historic TV debates weren’t debates.Nixon-Kennedy? Not unlessflop sweat and shadowy shavecount against, haircut and charm for.

Curious how regular-life daily debatesonce felt as vital as food, clothing, shelter,debates with lovers, family, friends,strangers, debates as urgent as sex drive.

Back-in-the-day debates about war, peace,comedy, tragedy, inner child and outer spacestimulated the mind, yes? Even debates fordebates’ sake invigorated the spirit, no?

No. They didn’t. No matter how dazzling,debates merely go ’round and ’round,furiously whining like wheels spinningin muck and mire, traction forever elusive.

Clinton-Trump debate? As realas “reality” show from whichdebater-turned-stalker spewed,roiling rants rendering facts moot.

Life can’t be endless debates won or lost.No points for being right, or righteous.Even if such sketchy scorecards exist,no matter, no points, no point at all.

Instead, all along, hiding in plain sightin debates’ hazy dystopian maze, waitingwordlessly like heroic stoic sentinels, standtwo of life’s noble needs: to be helpful, humble.

Done with lifetime of debates. What relief!Finally. Late bloomer? But not too lateto seize the day, any day, or any moment.Satisfy those needs with modest deeds momentous.