Showing posts with label rebirth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rebirth. Show all posts

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Day 3762 - Easter

You know something, I don't want to go back to normal. Normal wasn't that good. I'm not typically an optimistic person, but I see a unique opportunity in the days ahead. The world has been given a once in a lifetime chance to wipe the slate clean and start over. Everything has been so fundamentally disrupted that there is no reason to go back to what we were doing before.

Personally, I like the fact that everything has slowed down a bit. Streets are much quieter now. It's rare to hear an airplane overhead. They say crime is down in many cities. Maybe I'm imagining things but people even seem more polite. Who knows. Maybe we should have been staying six feet apart all along.

Easter is a time of rebirth. Why not give it a try. I'll be the first to admit that it won't be easy. If we continue our political bickering here in the United States it will be impossible. Don't the Democrats and the Republicans seem almost irrelevant now? They don't have the answer. It's time to stop blaming each other. The virus isn't Trump's fault or Pelosi's fault. It's a plague. I'd like to see a third person unaffiliated with any party come out of nowhere and capture the country's imagination. Neither party deserves to win at this point.

The problem with starting over is that your idea of a brighter future might be a lot different than mine. What would I do? Probably the same things I've been doing for years. I certainly don't find the answer in government. It's time to start taking personal responsibility for our own lives. Nobody owes you anything. Start eating healthy food. Get outside more. Quit smoking, vaping, and putting anything other than air into your lungs. So many of of our problems are caused by bad lifestyle choices. If we were a healthy nation both physically and mentally, the next few months would be a lot easier.

We need to realize that global pandemics are a consequence of a global economy. We need to think small again. A bunch of small economies, each making what they need for themselves ensures that nobody can bring the entire house of cards tumbling down. I hear people wondering why we don't have enough masks and gowns for doctors when we're the richest country in the world. Duh. We don't make anything anymore. The countries that actually make the masks and gowns have people dying too and are keeping their production for themselves.

It doesn't really matter what things cost if people have secure jobs and there is food on the table. When I was growing up every little town had a factory. We made everything here. Wouldn't you like to have those factories back now? Sure, your TV and sneakers would cost more, but who cares. The world is telling us, "you can pay me now or you can pay me later."

Back in the day it use to cost a lot more to fly, but was your last trip to a business meeting really even necessary? People used to fly me to Germany just to go to meetings. I didn't even speak German. It was silly. Lets get back to basics. Make the things you need. Use the things you need. Develop self-sufficiency as a person and as a country.

I like analogies. It is Easter. Maybe people are dying for our collective sins. We have an opportunity to start over as a society. Call it a resurrection if you will. We got so many things wrong, but there's no reason we can't get it right this time.

Nellie is today's Dalmatian of the Day
Watch of the Day

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Day 1934

I enjoy going to the vet with Dot on Thursdays. It gives me a chance to talk with some real people instead of just sending e-mails back and forth. Even more importantly, I can get an objective opinion on whether Dot is actually improving. It's hard for me to tell sometimes. She is definitely better than when we brought her home from surgery, but she still has good days and bad days. In my mind, everything in life should be a steady, even progression, but of course life isn't like that at all. I tend to get alarmed about the bad days, so it's nice to get an objective opinion.

I'm glad Dot's vet confirmed what I'd been thinking. She felt that Dot was definitely stronger than when she saw her last Thursday. We did a little more strenuous workout in the underwater treadmill today and everyone seemed pleased with her progress. We're still a long way from the finish line however. Dot has already lost over two pounds of muscle mass. That might not seem a lot for you or me, but it is quite a bit for a dog. We're got to slowly build her muscles back with exercise and physical therapy. Without strong leg muscles, she'll never be able to walk normally. So far, we're doing all the right things. It's just going to take time.

I understand the process all too well. I've been faithfully doing my own physical therapy exercises for months now and have still only managed to add a few inches to my bad shoulder's range of motion. In my case, my physical therapist told me that it could take up to a year before I noticed any substantial improvements. I hope it doesn't take that long for Dot. I think I've got a lot more time to get back to normal than Dot does. I could be wrong though. Dot is amazing. She may outlive me.

I was sleepy all day today. The combination of lack of sleep and acting as Dot's rear legs have taken their toll. I guess I could sleep in tomorrow, since it is a holiday, but I'll probably get up early anyway. It's Friday tomorrow and my desire to get out of the house will override any thoughts I might have about sleeping longer. I've been looking forward to my special breakfast all week.

It's amazing how quickly the vegetation has returned this Spring. A few weeks ago the park was still in the last grips of Winter. Now, there is new life everywhere. The trees are green. New flowers are popping up in the meadows every day. I'm even starting to see some baby ducks. I find it comforting that nature is so consistent and predictable. The same flowers and baby animals appear every year at almost exactly the same time. Humans are continually trying to reinvent themselves. Ducks and flowers seem content to stay as they are. I like that.

Miracle is today's Dalmatian of the Day
Watch of the Day