“Now you see what a fine mess you got me into!”

You’re not going to know what this means or for that matter the two people involved in this accusatory conversation, unless you’re around 102 years old.

When I was a kid growing up on the wrong side of the street there was a black and white series in the movies featuring the hapless duo Laurel and Hardy. In the on going series Hardy, who assumed the role of the smarter of the two, was constantly blaming Laurel for getting them into trouble. The situations were always rather hilarious but taken quite seriously by our fickle duo. You could YouTube them but to save you time all you need to know is that one was always blaming the other for getting them into a mess. Right up front, I shall pose the question to you: does this scenario sound at all familiar?

In reading the newspapers and watching the endless television news reports these days it seems to me that we have another Laurel and Hardy series on our hands. However, none of this is meant to be amusing but to be taken seriously, quite seriously.

In case you’re wondering, the common denominator here is blame, simple, old fashion blame; don’t blame me, it’s all your fault, it’s because you never listen to me, next time you’ll hear what I’m saying, it was you and not I who made that decision, “Put the blame on Mame, Boys”, (a popular song of yesteryear), it’s all your fault, why do you always do that, if you listened to me, etc. I’m certain I don’t have to belabor you with more examples, you get the picture.

Stay with me as I am going somewhere that brings all of this background into the present day. I began to discuss the media and its delivery of the news, but maybe I should begin with where that news originates. These days it all seems to originate with politics, Democrats vs Republicans, to say nothing of the in fighting within each party, with one faction always blaming the other for bills not passed, inflation, price of gas, etc. Maybe we need to pass a bill on blamelessness and be done with it! I wonder if it would pass without exception or deliberation.

A close to home example of blame is the on going debate on who’s to blame for our rising gas and electric heating bills, who was to blame for the rapid spread of Omicron, who can we blame for people being at odds with each other, and oh, here’s the kicker, who or what can we blame for Paul Le Page returning to the political scene in Maine?

I don’t have any answers to these inchoate questions, or can I offer any solutions other than to hold out, stay positive and maybe pass the blame onto Laurel and Hardy for getting us into this mess. And have a good old fashioned laugh for myself.

— Special to the Telegram