Every now and then, the thought of survival crosses my noggin … particularly after Donald Trump has inflicted more than his usual share of havoc on our beloved democratic republic.

Before I venture too deeply into the weeds, I want to declare that my “survival” does not involve my presence in this world of ours. I have zero intention of ending my life. I do, though, worry about my state of mental capacity at times when I see the man elected POTUS ranting on incessantly and incoherently about this or that matter of the moment. Then I wonder: How in the name of the founding fathers did this clown ever get elected?

That’s water over the ol’ dam, if you will. He did get elected and there’s nothing we can do about what’s happened. We can, though, control the future. Which gives me reason to cling to my sanity.

My hope for a brighter future is beginning to glow a little more brightly. Republicans in Congress are starting to grow spines by opposing Trump. They’re voting against his initiatives. They’re pissing the RINO in chief off royally (no pun intended) and he is responding with social media tirades that sound as if they’re coming from a junior high school hot head.

Some are suggesting that Trump’s mental acuity (if that’s what we should call it) is slipping away. I have declared my intention to stay away from that guessing game and I won’t engage in it here … other than to report what others might be saying.

All of this is allowing me to hold onto my sanity.

I realized a long time ago that I should never take myself too seriously. Today I am searching for a way to transfer that self-awareness into the issues that keep nipping at our heels.

I once took politics too seriously. That was in the late 1960s when it became a matter of life or death to young men of my age. I got through all of that and have settled into a quiet life of semi-retirement. The issues today are just as serious as they were in the old days. I am just seeking to cling to the marbles rattling around in my skull.