Frankly, our family now frequently discuss the fact that we feel we are living in some sort of science-fiction movie. I say 'movie', because things and we ourselves are in motion, but so much is so strange and time has become somewhat like a played accordion must feel: sometimes close together, sometimes far apart.
Like the rest of the world, we must deal with the pandemic on an every-day basis. But to us there seem to be four pandemics: the covid virus; the violence of climate changes that are producing early and multiple violent storms and in the west, terrible fires; the pain and worry of racial injustices and the terrible unhappiness that has come to the fore; and, in our country, the disaster that an inappropriate administration has wrought on our democracy and its health and economy and therefore, so many people.
That there are unimaginable numbers of people being evicted from their homes because they have no jobs, that there are fellow citizens who have no source of food, that people are losing everything they have in violent storms or in uncontrollable fires, this is not a reality we can figure out how to deal with. But we are trying.
As individuals who have studied history somewhat, we know that over centuries and millenia there have been many challenges for humanity. But in this century, and in this country, and with all the presumed advances in technology and science, we cannot help but be shocked by humankind's continued inhumanity to humankind. On the other hand, many times we have seen instances of individuals who have reached out to their fellow humans and given care, or joy or kindness or encouragement. We figure our duty is to do the same, as best we can.
