distraction

Olympics Geek – Day 988

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Experts in another form of breast stroke – Photo: L. Weikel

Olympics Geek

I’m a total Olympics geek. I remember watching them religiously every four years as I was growing up. For my entire youth, I seem to recall not only the Olympic jingle (for lack of a better word), but also ABC’s “Wide World of Sport” and “the agony of defeat” reminding us all of the risks of ski jumping.

Both summer and winter Olympics were essential viewing in our household. I can’t even claim to prefer one season’s competitions over the other. Like most of us, I have my favorites in both.

I don’t know, though. This year, watching the Olympics is even more exhilarating and cathartic. I’m surprised. I was not expecting to enjoy them this year.

I’ll admit I was feeling a bit ‘judge-y’ over whether or not they should even hold these iconic competitions this year, given the ongoing Covid risk. It’s appalling to consider that we’re collectively putting at risk the most elite athletes of the world, particularly as the Delta variant is spreading like wildfire. And yet it appears they’re taking the risk of infection seriously, at least – and are doing their best to keep people safe, and keeping attendees to a minimum.

But the – shall we call it robust fraternization – amongst the athletes in their ‘down time’ strikes me as extremely hard to regulate. Encouraging these (predominantly) teenaged and twenty-something people in the utter prime of their lives and peak physical hubris to keep their masks on and maintain social distancing seems a bit naïve.

At least it appears from the broadcast that protocols are being followed by athletes, coaches, judges, and the few other people permitted on-premises. It’s actually the celebrations afterward that are at greatest risk of turning into Olympic-sized super spreader events.

One Great Moment

If you’re sports-inclined, you’ve probably already seen what I want to share with you tonight. If you’re not, I nevertheless encourage you to check out the links below. Because as truly and utterly amazing as it is to watch people who are icons in their sports, such as the Simone Bileses of the world, it’s the unexpected, come-from-nowhere victories that capture my heart and imagination the most.

Two amazing instances come to mind that I want to share, just in case you haven’t been watching. The first was in the 400 m. men’s freestyle swimming event. An 18 year old from Tunisia, Ahmed Hafnaoui, qualified for the final event with the slowest time, placing him in the 8th (outside) lane. I read somewhere that the odds of his winning the event were 5000 to 1.

Of course, you can imagine what happened. Even better, here is a clip of his family and friends back in Tunisia as they watched the event unfold on tv.

This is the stuff that makes the Olympics precious to people from all over the world – and worth watching in these stressed out and worrisome times.

Another Olympic Tear-Jerker

Another such moment also comes from a swimming event: the 100 m. breast stroke. If you didn’t happen to watch tonight, here’s a split screen video of the race itself and the people in the winner, 17 year old Lydia Jacoby’s, hometown of Seward, ALASKA, reacting as they watched her pull off her Olympic moment.

Last but not least the reaction of Jacoby’s teammate, Lilly King, was an Olympic-sized class act. King was slated to win the event but took home the bronze instead. She hadn’t lost this event in five years of competition. The grace with which she responded to Jacoby’s stunning win was simply epic. (Pay attention to the last few paragraphs of this article.)

Finally

Before I sign off for the evening, I have to share a simply hilarious spoof gymnastics commentary. I hope you can access the link (if you can’t, try this). If you’re anything like me, you’ll get more out of it (between tears of laughter) each time you watch/listen to it.

I’m loving the distraction from the chaos of our political woes, existential anxieties, and myriad Covid crises stemming from fear, suspicion, rampant spread, illness, and death. I just hope everyone at the Olympics stays safe and healthy and all the athletes have the opportunity to realize the magic of pursuing their greatest dreams.

(T-123)

Some Nights – Day 823

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Sirius & Orion – Photo: L. Weikel

Some Nights

Some nights it’s really hard for me to come up with anything to write about that doesn’t bludgeon our sensibilities with thoughts and emotions that are unrequited. That’s especially true when two circumstances collide and rob me of my inspiration: (1) when I’m constrained by my sense of civic responsibility and passion for our system of law and government to avidly watch the Senate impeachment trial; and (2) when I fail to get myself outside to take a walk.

Yes, I’ll admit it. I become consumed by the writhing gyrations our country is going through. I feel helpless as I watch it struggle to either give birth to a new, more diverse, passionate, and unified version of itself or die as it reverts to its fearful, racist, hateful, and disrespectful roots.

Indeed, those roots are the undercurrent that streams throughout our perceptions of the Senate trial we’re witnessing this week. Those roots are the source of the trauma we’ve endured and seen perpetrated in our name, the violence we’ve seen stoked since the very first rallies took place, the desecration and madness that was unleashed on our elected representatives and sacred symbols of democracy on January 6th.

Not Light and Airy

Believe me, I’d love to write about something whimsical or fanciful this evening. My usual go-to sources of a higher perspective, Mother Earth and her myriad creations, don’t feel as readily available to me when I fail to take make the effort to get outside my cocoon.

And perhaps, if I’d managed to wedge in a walk this evening, I might have received the gift of a distraction. But I didn’t. So I’m relegated to musing over the unsettling way my heart feels like it’s taken up residence in the pit of my stomach.

I don’t know if any of you heard it, but at least twice in the arguments that took place today on behalf of the House Managers, the word resilience or resilient was used to refer to our democratic ideals. For obvious reasons, if you’ve been hanging with me this week, you’ll understand that the word jumped out of the television at me.

Crumbling Institution

We’re going to find out over the next few days just where we stand. If there is a conviction, there will be fallout. At least, I imagine there will be disappointment and at least some outrage felt by those who have fallen for The Big Lie. Hopefully, the backlash will be muffled and subdued, because deep down, hatred is unsustainable.

But if there is an acquittal…ah yes. That’s the situation that will test our resilience probably more than it’s ever been tested in our history. Even more than the Civil War? Yeah, probably. Because an acquittal will give legitimacy to the very same factions that incited the Civil War and were allowed to flourish under a veneer of invisibility and distorted respectability.

But that veneer has been ripped off by the actions stoked by DT and perpetrated on our nation. An acquittal will force an eruption, because the ideology of those who desecrated our capitol is unsustainable.

Some nights, like tonight, I hang on to the idea of our resilience by a thread.

Dark Moon – Photo: NASA

(T-288)

Fork – Day 769

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A Gigantic Fork – Photo: L. Weikel

Fork

The photo above is of a gargantuan fork that’s been in our cutlery drawer for several decades. I put a pen beside it to give context to the extraordinary size of that fork. But even with that, I doubt you’re getting the full flavor of what I’m trying to convey.

But what I may be struggling to convey in the photo is actually something I sense we’re all feeling. Something we all know, at the deepest level of our being.

“Stick a fork in me; I’m done.” Or perhaps more accurately: “Stick a fork in us; we’re done.”

That’s the sentiment I’m feeling at the moment, and it’s threatening to overwhelm me. I don’t think I’m speaking solely for myself, either. Far from it.

So What’s My Deal?

I can’t say for sure. Perhaps this is part of what I ‘do’ in the world. I pay attention to what’s happening in our shared reality and do my best to hold space in my heart for others. We can’t all be on the front lines, after all. We can’t all be reporting on it, either. Not all of us are trained for – or even suited to – engaging in what, at this moment in our evolution, feels like exacting the greatest of sacrifices day in and day out.

But even though I’m not doing it myself, I’m paying attention. I’m also paying attention (on behalf of those who are so engrossed in the day to day efforts of keeping people alive and safe) to what is going on at the highest levels of our government, right before our very eyes. There is a concerted effort, it seems, to rip us asunder while we’re all preoccupied with exponential infection rates and vertical hospitalization and death rates.

While we fight for survival, we’re being taken to the cleaners. Sold out. Compromised in the worst ways. It’s a cynical and even diabolical calculation. But it must be called out. We must each do our part to end the madness.

What’s Our Deal?

We need to stay home. We need to be smart and vigilant and take this threat to our health seriously. We would be wise to pay attention to what we have and what we cherish – and resist the temptation to lament what we’re being asked to forego for a few days, weeks, or months.

We need to stick a fork in our belligerent refusal to acknowledge the astounding suffering of so many in our country (and around the world, but especially here). It’s done. It serves no one – except, perhaps, those who are banking on our preoccupation.

Things are getting worse. All the warnings about what would happen if people ignored the warnings about gathering at Thanksgiving are coming to pass. A single county in California just logged 100,000 new cases in the past week. And yet people shop and carry on – as if nothing is happening.

We can see – right before our eyes – what will happen a month from now. Only it will be worse. Guaranteed.

We need to stick a gargantuan fork in our denial of reality because it’s killing us and distracting us. We must refuse to be distracted any longer.

We’re Better Than This

It’s time to take responsibility for ourselves and each other. If there’s a strain of Covid that’s in the UK that’s spreading at a rate 70% faster than what we’re encountering now, we need to be smart. We need to take even greater precautions than what’s being asked of us. We need to stop living in denial and realize that what they’re dealing with, we’ll be dealing with in the blink of an eye.

We need to love ourselves and each other enough to realize that we’re in this together.

We need to stick a fork in our selfish ways. Ultimately, those ways are hurting us all. They’re breaking our hearts, wearing us down, and sapping our will to be kind and courageous. And perhaps worst of all, they’re serving those who want us distracted from an unprecedented power grab that could have untold implications.

We must find our will. We must be vigilant. We must find our compassion.

And we must remember: we’re better than this.

(T-342)

Perseverance Pays Off – Day 713

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Photo: Nationalgeographic.com

Perseverance Pays Off

If you read my post on Watchwords the other day, you’ll recognize one of them in the title above. I’ve noticed the word in recent articles or popping up in conversations over the past few days, but this evening I actually experienced first hand the wisdom in trusting that perseverance pays off.

And no, it’s not what you think. My epiphany has nothing to do with internal fortitude or relentlessly putting my shoulder to the wheel, pushing forward in the face of dire circumstances or daunting poll numbers. My appreciation for the benefits that perseverance can bring to our lives is much simpler and mundane.

Yet it made our evening.

In the midst of all the anxiety and insanity surrounding the election and – perhaps even worse, the worry over how things will unfold post-election – Karl and I persevered. And it paid off.

Embracing Distraction

The weather where I live shifted dramatically late this afternoon. It felt like the temperature dropped about 20 degrees within the span of half an hour. I’d been working at my usual perch on our porch, engaging in a long distance reading for a client and friend, when all of a sudden I realized that the wind had shifted and I was cold. Shifting my workspace inside, I completed the session, but I was chilled to the bone.

I flirted with the idea of taking a long, hot bath and just settling in to crack open a book I picked up at the library just yesterday. But Karl was the pushy one tonight, prodding me to take a walk, even if it was just our shorter two mile jaunt.

Upon our return, we agreed that we just wanted to hunker down, get warm, pig out (no, I’m not going there), and lose ourselves in a distracting movie – ideally a feel-good one.

Karl suggested a movie that looked light and might have potential. I think it was called The Prince & Me, and it was airing on Netflix. Good grief; it was awful. The dialogue was stilted, the premise formulaic. And while I don’t claim to be a film connoisseur, even I have my limit. We gave it a total of about 20 minutes and had to just let it die on the vine.

We surfed the movie lineups on a couple of channels. (It should be noted here that Karl was hell-bent on watching a movie. We’re actually in the middle of a couple of really great series, but he wanted a movie.) We saw one that had Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in it: Downhill, and gave it a try. Oh my. It was a downer. We like both actors and wanted to like the movie, but no. No. We wanted to laugh. Or at least not feel like we were being forced to watch a marriage plunge off the side of a mountain in slow motion.

Out of Character

Once again, we gave the movie a good 35-40 minutes or so to redeem itself and give us a reason to stick with it. (Yes, we gave it a slightly longer opportunity than we gave the other. The writing – and acting – were both significantly better than the first debacle.) But alas, as out of character as it was for us not to just ‘stick with it’ (and suffer), we persevered in our quest to find a movie that would lift us out of our routine thoughts and existential concerns. We turned off Downhill and resumed our search for a movie that would fit the bill.

And we prevailed.

Karl had another suggestion. One we had to dig for because he misremembered the title and our search kept coming up empty. But then he remembered enough of the title for us to ultimately zero in on it: Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Watch the trailer.

Quirky for sure, but most definitely a worthy distraction. I recommend it for many reasons: amazing scenery (you can’t beat New Zealand for stunning scenery), the accents, a plot line that held a number of surprises, and heart. The movie definitely has heart.

So while our perseverance tonight may not have yielded transformation, it did put smiles on both of our faces. Our moods most definitely shifted as a result of our relentless pursuit of a movie to take our minds off the utter awfulness in the outside world, if only for a couple hours. If you watch it, you won’t regret it.

And it just goes to show: you never know how or when the Watchwords we’re given will come in handy.

(T-398)

Ninth House – Day 636

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Photo: L. Weikel

Ninth House

Although I’ve started a couple of posts this evening, I keep deleting them. Nothing seems relevant. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say that nothing I can think of feels worthy of my or your attention.

I’m feeling a bit distracted. I can’t put my finger on anything in particular, other than to admit that perhaps it just an overwhelming desire to lose myself in a good book.

I have about 30 pages left in the novel I’m reading, Ninth House*. I know I’ve said it before, but it just feels great every once in a while to immerse myself in story that has nothing to do with anything going on in my life at the moment. My problem (if you can call it that) is that I’m a really slow reader. If you add to that the fact that I almost never give myself permission to ‘read for pleasure’ during the day, it means it usually takes me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to finish a book. That’s especially true now that I’m writing these posts every night.

Honestly, I usually manage to read between one and two pages a night before nodding off. That is not a recipe for plowing through my list of wanna-reads at a decent clip.

Maybe if I finish this book and begin the one that’s been on deck for a good month or so, The Murmur of Bees (recommended by a dear friend whose taste I trust implicitly!), I’ll be inspired to write about something new or different.

It’s time.

*Affiliate link

(T-475)

Another New Moon – Day 617

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Photo: L. Weikel

Another New Moon

Ah yes, tonight is yet another new moon, another new beginning in the lunar cycle that definitely and peculiarly influences us, whether we realize it consciously or not.

There is a period of time each month known as the ‘dark moon,’ when the night sky is the darkest because no portion of the moon is illuminated. The ‘upside’ to the time when Grandmother Moon is invisible is the way her absence allows our eyes to take our star-gazing to a whole new level. In the darkness, we’re actually able to see a whole lot more of what’s really out there.

Is This a Metaphor?

I don’t know why, but this new moon I am more acutely aware of the darkness than I’ve been in a very long time. It feels like we’re cloaked in darkness at the moment – our country, our world. And yet, at the same time, precisely because we’ve plunged into this darkness, we’re seeing things that have been there all along, but we’re only just now allowing our eyes to adjust enough to really see.

As I’ve written about a number of times before, at the time of the new moon, it’s a time of new beginnings. I’m usually enthusiastic about the opportunity a new moon gives us to plant new seeds, to set the intention of what we want to start cultivating in our lives over the next month or year, cultivating as our future.

Something’s Different

I feel a need to shift my focus a bit this month, take a bit of a different approach with this new moon. Yes, I want to set some intentions and call in new energy. I want to infuse new life into some of my greatest hopes and cherished goals. Absolutely.

But for some reason or another, I feel like the power of this new moon lies more in its ability to reveal a whole lot of stuff that’s been lurking behind the scenes, hiding in plain sight, but remaining unseen because we’ve been blinded – or at least distracted – by the light. And it feels like it’s time. It’s time to stop for a moment, in this Time of the Dark Moon, and take stock of what it is that’s right there, right in front of us, being revealed for us to finally see.

Because right now, if we don’t take the time to look and see what’s been there all this time – and deal with it – it will be a huge missed opportunity. Why? Because nothing we plant at the time of this new moon will flourish the way it could, the way we hope it will, if we don’t act on what’s being revealed in this darkness and get rid of that which either never or no longer serves the highest good.

Photo: astrologyally.com

What Light Nurtures?

It’s important to remember, sometimes, that the light that’s been distracting us hasn’t even been ‘Light’ – meaning light that originates from its own source – light that’s generative, warm, and nurturing. No, it’s been reflected light. Illusory light. Light that can seem pretty bright and even dazzling at times, but doesn’t warm us, doesn’t feed us, doesn’t coax us to grow toward it.

So I am finding myself contemplating this a lot the past few days. Yes, the full moon is usually when we realize the completion of things, the realization that some aspects of our life may have reached their peak and need to be released.

But the new moon, with its attendant darkness, is also an opportunity to let go. It gives us the chance to see what’s been hiding in the light, hoping we’ll be entranced by the brightness and fail to notice the stuff that perhaps doesn’t have our best interests at heart but wants to remain undetected.

Perhaps, in our own lives, these cloaked beasts are lies we tell ourselves about situations or people, lies about our fears or our weaknesses. They hide in the dark. But maybe this is the window when we can see them and face the truth.

Bring Them Into the Sunlight

If we bring those hiding saboteurs into the sunlight, everything can change. The entire landscape of where we plant the new seeds of our desires and intentions is cleared.

Take a look at what might be lurking in the darkness. Don’t be afraid to see it and call it out for what it is. Only then can we plant the Seeds of Our Becoming without fear of the distractions of a false light.

(T-494)

Fallout – Day 605

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Sunset 8 July 2020 – Photo: L. Weikel

Fallout

OK, let’s get real. There will be repercussions one way or another tomorrow; repercussions that we’re all going to have to respond to and deal with. And either way things go, the fallout is almost certain to be of epic proportions.

You know what I’m talking about: DT’s tax returns.

Those who closely follow the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) are indicating that tomorrow will be the day that we receive the decision on the ‘tax return’ cases. We’ll either discover that DT is, in fact, “above the law” while he’s president and therefore does not have to comply with the law as all other citizens would in providing his tax returns (to Congress for them to fulfill their oversight duties or to New York in furtherance of a criminal investigation) or he does have to disclose those tax returns.

Either way, there will be fallout and we will be the recipients.

Happy Dance

If he perceives himself to have won, we can be assured of a couple of things: First, he will gleefully do a happy dance on all of our heads. He will crow and cluck and lord it over all of us (but especially his political rivals) that he is king, that he is untouchable. He will praise the Supreme Court and deem it to be the wisest, most amazing judicial body in the land (comprised of “the best people”).

That would be bad enough. But we all know it won’t end with a little gloating. Not only will he rub it in our collective faces (and he will, as he has every other time he has enjoyed what could be construed as a win), he will also consider it a green light to do whatever he damn well wants. For instance, and at a minimum, whatever behavior he’s trying to hide in those returns will be continued. You can bank on that (pun intended). But DT being DT, he will immediately engage in even worse illegal behavior. Why? Because the SCOTUS will have said, “Be our guest.”

But as bad as that sounds? There will be even worse repercussions:

If he wins this case based upon the fact that he is the president of the United States, does anyone in their right mind think he will ever willingly walk away from the presidency? Of course not. You can be sure he won’t. He’s already been broadcasting this intention for months, if not years. But if he escapes responsibility for adhering to the laws of the United States simply because he holds the office of the president, I guarantee he will engage in extreme measures to hang on to that advantage.

And we can no longer plausibly react to anything he does with the trope, “But no one would ever do that.” Of course he would. He will.

Angry Stomp

And if he loses and is told he must comply with providing the returns either to the oversight committee of Congress or to the State of New York? Or both?

We will see gyrations and a flailing about that will make anything we’ve witnessed so far in the past three and a half years of egregious presidential behavior pale in comparison. The stakes are that high for him and his family.

He will create a distraction in the world so monumental that it will boggle our minds. And don’t think for one moment he isn’t ready to sacrifice however many people it will take to make us look away and perhaps even ‘forget’ about his tax returns.

No. I have a feeling that either way the decision goes tomorrow (unless they punt on rendering a decision until the next term), we are in for some major fallout. And even a punt by SCOTUS, at this point, might have unexpected and heretofore unbelievable repercussions.

Still Flow?

I’m curious if we’re supposed to deal with all of this fallout with the continued Ocean Oracle counsel of “Flow” that we received yesterday.

Perhaps we are. Just in case, I’m going to choose another card now. Let’s see:

Wow. Well, I never would’ve guessed these two cards would be the message we’d receive, but here they are. If these are any indication of the fallout we can expect, perhaps ultimately, the truth really will set us free.

We can only hope. And go with the flow.

The Ocean Oracle: Jellyfish (11 Hidden Gifts) and Sea Glass (35 Transformation)

(T-506)

Distraction – Day 566

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Rainbow glare – Photo: L. Weikel

Distraction

All I have to offer this evening are some photos I took on our walk early tonight. I realize they are but a distraction – but that’s all I can muster.

I tried watching something on Netflix tonight that would take my mind off the searing pain and rage our nation is experiencing. An animated series – Avatar: the Last Airbender. It’s such a great show, promoting and teaching timeless truths about relationships, power, and responsibility, among other things. If you can gloss over a little bit of the hokey banter, especially in the first few episodes, I promise you will find this series leaves you feeling brighter and remembering what’s important in life.

Karl and I are midway through the second season of the aforementioned animated Avatar. (I emphasize animated to distinguish from the live action film of the same name, which I’ve been told doesn’t hold a candle to the series). There are a total of three seasons to the series.

But alas, I returned to watching the reporting on the protests taking place across our nation after Karl went to sleep. I hold space for those friends of mine in cities under siege and hope they don’t get caught in the cross fire.

I only hope this pain will bring about the radical, systemic change that is the only thing that will heal these wounds.

So as I said when I started out this post, I offer you some photos of beauty, taken today.

Golden Deer Against an Angry Sky – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-545)

Tough Decision – Day 499

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Tough Decision

I made a tough decision last night after I posted my missive for the evening and climbed into bed, threading my legs around and between the two dogs and Karl, propping my head and back up on pillows, and petting Tigger, who always hops right up into my face every evening for his “alone-time with Mommy, pet and chin scratch while she reads” ritual.

This post’s peevishness is not linked to the considerable gyrations I go through each night in order to claim even a quarter of the acreage in our queen-sized bed. Those actually make me feel surrounded by love and affection.

No, it stems from the book I’ve been reading: Fall* by Neal Stephenson.

I feel like I’ve been reading this book since Christmas. And while I am a slow reader, I’m also not a person who easily gives up on a book. I wanted to like it; I appreciated that it must’ve taken quite an effort to write. And there were parts that caught my interest. But then the other narrative would kick in and I would feel almost mind-numbingly bored. Ugh. I’d endure those parts, hoping against hope that they’d undoubtedly lead to something worthwhile. I thought I could hang in for the pay dirt.

But last night I made the tough decision. I was putting this book down. (And as I reread that last sentence, I realize it can almost be read as if I decided to take it to the vet.) It just was not serving my needs which, to be completely honest, have particularly shifted in recent weeks.

I need a distraction. I yearn to escape from reality, and revel in another story line than the one we’re living in, which is only going to become more and more like a disaster movie in the days ahead.

Delightful Discovery

I made that fateful decision last night as I put Fall* down on the floor beside my bed. “Done,” I said out loud. “I’m done with you.”

Imagine my surprise this afternoon when I walked past our bookcase (mind you, I have a stack of about five books beside my bed, so why was my glance wandering onto the bookshelf?) when my eyes immediately lit upon a title that just clicked into place: The Book of Dust*.

I pulled it out. It’s by Philip Pullman. I love the earlier series he wrote: His Dark Materials, which starts with The Golden Compass*.

I’m so excited! What a delightful discovery in this time of dystopic reality.

And before you judge me for not completing Fall, I have to tell you: I’ve read 483 pages of this sucker and I’m still not feeling compelled by it. 483 pages! And there are exactly 400 more pages in this tome. So…I feel I’ve given it more than honorable shot at winning me over.

But you know what? I – just – can’t.

We’re literally in the midst of a horrific pandemic. I’m not going to waste one more night reading a book that doesn’t have me captivated. Life’s too short.

 

*affiliate link

(T-612)

Deluge – Day 472

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Photo: L. Weikel

Deluge

I didn’t realize it was supposed to get as nasty out as it has tonight. It sounds like we’re experiencing a deluge.

I’m sitting here at the stroke of midnight and I can hear water rushing through the downspouts and spattering angrily on the layer of leaves blanketing the flowerbeds. It’s hypnotic, to tell you the truth.

But it would be so much more pleasing if I were sitting here periodically checking on the depth of the snow falling outside instead. I love being in the midst of a true nor’easter blizzard – especially when I’m toasty warm.

Virus

I’m sitting here with thoughts of viruses and pandemics and incompetence swirling in my head. I’m constrained to admit it: I’m struggling to discern something – anything – I can write about that’s not either political or morbidly depressing.

My usual go-to in situations like this is my cache of photos. Almost always, I can find an image or two that will lead me on a merry chase of writing about something or another, usually a topic I had no intention of addressing only minutes before. Or at the very least, I can find something that will make either you or me (ideally both of us) smile.

The best I can come up with tonight is a photo from when I was crossing the Williamsburg Bridge in NYC a few weeks ago. Even though it’s blurry, there’s something right about it. It captures a weird sense I have about life right now.

Distraction

It feels like this is a time to allow ourselves a little distraction. In fact, in some ways, it feels like allowing for occasional distraction may be the only way any of us will survive what’s coming.

Yes, we need to wash our hands. Yes, we need to pay attention to what’s going on in the world so we can at least take the necessary steps to keep ourselves aware enough to avoid most of it.

But give me some distraction. Maybe not a deluge of it; but enough to keep me going.

(T-639)