Catching up
No, I have not been sick. Not really busy either. Perhaps a bit despondent, what with the daily news et al. People my age, who were children of the WWII era, are having a hard time watching the U.S.
destroy itself. We remember the "rally round the flag, boys" and Uncle Sam, a country united in
loyalty to our nation. We were brought up to respect, whether you agreed or not, the opinion and/or
position of others. There is so much to be gained by listening to the viewpoint of another person. You
may not be persuaded to move to that person's position; however, giving their theory some actual thought can broaden one's own outlook and exercise your mind while forming rebuttals to put forth
your case.
But the world is different now, at least the parts of it I am witnessing. Little respect for property,
opposing ideas, even life.
No one likes wearing a mask, especially in the heat and humidity. Are we not willing to sacrifice a bit of discomfort to protect those around us? Some are. Many are not. They can rationalize their reasons for
non-compliance, sounding knowledgeable. But the ones being labeled "heroes"--health workers, (my daughter is one), food supply workers, trash collectors, police, the man who climbs the phone pole in a storm to restore power, postal, UPS, FED-EX employees, who keep us supplied with contacts when social distancing makes a hug a thing of the past--Are not all of these ( and more) every day heroes?
They are doing their job, as they always do, with perhaps, more risk thrown in. Hurrah for them. Yet
I think we ought to appreciate them when there is no crisis involved. Maybe when we recover from this present crisis, we will all be more thoughtful, more respectful, more appreciative of everyone around us.
Maybe we will take time to listen to the voices of youth, to the musings of the elderly, to the ideas of a
man or woman who does not hold a PhD. Maybe we will say thank you when there is no exceptional reason to do so.
Most days I hesitate to watch the news. Surely, I think, there must be something good happening somewhere? So I take a chance and turn on the TV at 6:00pm. If you do too, you know what we see.
We turn it off after the hour is up, heavy-hearted, confused.
"Light at the end of the tunnel". "Joy cometh in the morning".
Did you realize that smiling even with a mask on, the smile can still be seen---in the eyes of the smiler?
Maybe some good comes from everything. Social distancing means that standing further apart, two
people have to pay closer attention to the face of the other in order to communicate. Really look into another person's eyes, listen attentively. Perhaps we will be doing this long enough so that it will become a habit. Wouldn't that be nice!
So I will wear a mask in public. I will smile at my neighbor and the stranger with my eyes. I will focus on their faces as they speak. I will enjoy hugging my dog and cat. Their bodily warmth and presence fills a need that COVID 19 has created. I will welcome each morning with gladness, as the birds chirp
outside my window, the bees dine among my flowers.
My heart will sing the never-ending song.
destroy itself. We remember the "rally round the flag, boys" and Uncle Sam, a country united in
loyalty to our nation. We were brought up to respect, whether you agreed or not, the opinion and/or
position of others. There is so much to be gained by listening to the viewpoint of another person. You
may not be persuaded to move to that person's position; however, giving their theory some actual thought can broaden one's own outlook and exercise your mind while forming rebuttals to put forth
your case.
But the world is different now, at least the parts of it I am witnessing. Little respect for property,
opposing ideas, even life.
No one likes wearing a mask, especially in the heat and humidity. Are we not willing to sacrifice a bit of discomfort to protect those around us? Some are. Many are not. They can rationalize their reasons for
non-compliance, sounding knowledgeable. But the ones being labeled "heroes"--health workers, (my daughter is one), food supply workers, trash collectors, police, the man who climbs the phone pole in a storm to restore power, postal, UPS, FED-EX employees, who keep us supplied with contacts when social distancing makes a hug a thing of the past--Are not all of these ( and more) every day heroes?
They are doing their job, as they always do, with perhaps, more risk thrown in. Hurrah for them. Yet
I think we ought to appreciate them when there is no crisis involved. Maybe when we recover from this present crisis, we will all be more thoughtful, more respectful, more appreciative of everyone around us.
Maybe we will take time to listen to the voices of youth, to the musings of the elderly, to the ideas of a
man or woman who does not hold a PhD. Maybe we will say thank you when there is no exceptional reason to do so.
Most days I hesitate to watch the news. Surely, I think, there must be something good happening somewhere? So I take a chance and turn on the TV at 6:00pm. If you do too, you know what we see.
We turn it off after the hour is up, heavy-hearted, confused.
"Light at the end of the tunnel". "Joy cometh in the morning".
Did you realize that smiling even with a mask on, the smile can still be seen---in the eyes of the smiler?
Maybe some good comes from everything. Social distancing means that standing further apart, two
people have to pay closer attention to the face of the other in order to communicate. Really look into another person's eyes, listen attentively. Perhaps we will be doing this long enough so that it will become a habit. Wouldn't that be nice!
So I will wear a mask in public. I will smile at my neighbor and the stranger with my eyes. I will focus on their faces as they speak. I will enjoy hugging my dog and cat. Their bodily warmth and presence fills a need that COVID 19 has created. I will welcome each morning with gladness, as the birds chirp
outside my window, the bees dine among my flowers.
My heart will sing the never-ending song.
Glad to see this post. Was concerned for you. And I agree with you too. Except for watching the news, I watch very little. Mostly read from reliable sources. I find myself so grateful for our "everyday" heroes.
ReplyDelete