I’m in the process of writing a memoir. At my age, I’d best get to it. For inspiration, I’m re-reading Monica Wood’s marvelous “When We Were the Kennedys.” I’m proud to know Monica. Perhaps I’m just itchin’ to write, or longing to read, something other than today’s ominous and calamitous network of negative news. I keep thinking this is all just a bad dream, hoping to wake up and hear my dad’s voice demanding, “Get ready for church — or it’s no Beatles on Ed Sullivan for you tonight!” Perhaps a title for my memoir: “When We Were the Beatles.”

Ms. Wood recalls her family’s Lithuanian neighbors who coveted their modest stairs “because they bought them and the building attached.” They guarded their garden (“every carrot, parsnip and rhubarb stem”). And their driveway (“every crack and fissure, and shiny knot of frost-heaved tar”). Then this formidable sentence — “It took years for me to know this, to see how loss can tighten your grip on the things still possible to hold.”

The crack, fissure and chaos evident on the American driveway is vividly evident within our whim-of-the-moment, grievous governance. The lack of reason, rationality or intelligence. This dearth of decorum certainly portends losing a grip on our precious, imperfect democracy. Will it be possible for us to hold on to it? Or is an oligarchy, kleptocracy or a plutocracy indeed where we’re headed?

For most of my life, I’ve trusted our government (certainly back when we were the Kennedys). My candidates did not always prevail, but the resulting governance seemed capable of squabbling and cobbling together something that worked out in the end. Something (sometimes) tolerable, and perhaps commendable. I recall an era when President Reagan and Speaker O’Neill would wrangle round and round all day long — but at 5 o’clock, it was time for a round of drinks. Today, we have a president and speaker driving us to drink.

When I substitute teach a few days a week, I witness the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. I’m warmed when I hear students conclude — in unison — “with liberty and justice for all.” It’s more a prayer today than a pledge. I pray that our country will continue to provide for them, the liberty and justice it afforded me, let alone the myriad of opportunities. (Full disclosure: I’m a straight white male.)

We’re governed today by a failed businessman. A charlatan with a trail of bankruptcies, surrounding himself with drooling sycophants, subservient to his blind ambition, callous cruelty and coerced loyalty. A reality-show ringmaster, who delights in uttering the immortal (and largely immoral) words “You’re fired!” A consummate huckster, emphasis on “con” — with a penchant for lame lawsuits, famously flaunting laws the rest of us live by.

Many of his adoring supporters, in hindsight, are experiencing “buyer’s remorse.” Demographically, they’re being affected by indiscriminate firings, layoffs, cuts in (earned) benefits and other draconian surprises — causing anxiety, dread and disruption. This, while imposing tumultuous tit-for-tat tariffs, pandering to Putin and mechanizing a marauding Musk.

Historians cite periods in our history when the “democratic experiment” our Founding Fathers envisioned teetered on the brink of extinction. Still, our Constitution and the faith in it we’ve all embraced, kept us whole as a sovereign nation and a united populace. Today we’re hardly whole, but rather — in one. And “United?” – fugeddaboudit!

Many predict we are moving toward a constitutional crisis. Others suggest we’ve already arrived. The absurd notion of annexing Canada as our 51st state? Rather, I’d favor Maine becoming Canada’s 11th province, eh? Just move the borders to Kittery and Fryeburg, and kindly pour me a Crown Royal .. ah, there now.

Back to the driveway. Every crack and fissure, every knot of shiny tar resulting from our frost-heaved governance reminds us of the way driveways used to be. And weeds? Don’t get me started on Congress.

Something’s got to give, and soon. If not, never mind a memoir. I’ll just start an obituary, simply titled “America: When We Were the Good Guys.”