Beauty and the Beast: The Anatomy of Genius

When I was a child, I often hated what my mother said. She was tough and resolute, and once when I blurted out that I did not love her any more, she explained to me that I did not have to love her. 

But I had to mind her.

Her words were authoritative, uncompromising, and sometimes hurtful. But her actions and talents smoothly managed our home, tamed her husband and three sons like young tigers, all while she decorated a lovely house and provided the best food in Texas on our table.

She was not only a wonderful mother and wife, she was an artist, seamstress, furniture refinisher, retailer, community organizer, prayer warrior and many people's personal counselor. Doers are magnetic, and she got things done. My father used to say “Rome was not built in a day... but Margaret was not the boss on that job.” Things seemed to fall into place around her. She made class and beauty look easy. People were attracted to her because she was amazingly gifted, and over time they began to value her opinions, which sometimes cut to the quick.

She had many “disciples,” but like her sons they found her words were often hard to accept or live by. Eventually most who knew her learned to trust her words, or at least tolerate them, because she was the most extraordinary person they had ever known. The evidence of her wisdom was everywhere. When she died her pall bearers were from every strata and lifestyle imaginable.

In the end she was not judged by her words or mistakes, but by the exceptional impact she had on the world around her. We had all seen and experienced what true leadership and social and cultural activism looks like. She is still remembered by her legacy of passionate creativity, spirituality and love.

So here is why I am writing about this. It's about the omniscience of genius.

Most of President Trump's detractors show open contempt based on either unfounded suspicions, his boorish choice of words or his dubious morality. But the marital infidelity, if not downright sexual adventurism of a fourth of the Presidents in my lifetime proves that our democracy will survive these things. It seems to be the words that have sent half the country into apoplexy. What America will not survive is the now popular trend towards violent intolerance of political diversity, based on urban legend; Hate running the streets, a war against... words.

Meanwhile the Media ignores the incredible strides the President has made improving our economy, leveling the playing field in the world trade market, and vanquishing our military enemies while challenging our allies. He has accomplished much of this with... tough words, often words that provoke and disturb, but then quickly initiate change.

So it will be no surprise that my brothers and I are giving President Trump a chance. We have seen genius at work, and we know when to give it some space and let it breathe, even when the messenger is flawed and their words are somewhat uncomfortable.

Some people who knew my mother will be offended that I would speak of her and Trump in the same breath, and will chastise me for making the comparison. It bothers me too. But I haven't seen that much genius in my life to have many others to compare him to, which leads me me to this; True problem solvers come around rarely in our lives.

Most of what passes for leadership in our culture is only a popularity contest. It's often the people who do not care about popularity who fix things. And our country is sick and needs a lot of fixing.

If you do not understand Trump, do not see the value in what he is doing, you might be one of those who are unable to perceive his effectiveness and the big things happening because you are trusting the wrong information sources and inevitably obsessing over THE WORDS, and the tangled misinformation and deliberate disinformation being broadcast continuously on most news outlets. 

True change is always a threat to the Establishment and Power. But true genius is accustomed to opposition and works around it. Or it just steamrolls over it. Some day History will tell what the Media will not, of the crusty businessman who set Washington- and the World, on its ear by mere transparency, common sense and promise keeping. Certainly the Koreans, the EU, the Russians and even the Chinese are already responding in force, amazingly, IN PEACE, to this refreshing global reality check.

Like my mother's, MY WORDS will be hard for some to swallow, but I have to submit; the blessings from the President's gifts will never match those of Margaret Cushman, but the world will be the better for them.