An Atypical Pandemic column...
and a bit of a rant
How are you doing regarding the pandemic?
I'd love to know. Please use the comment section below. What's different? What do you miss? Are you bogged down in lethargy and binging TV shows, or have you started writing poetry or built something with your hands? Read any good books lately? Nothing? There are no wrong answers.
Richard and I have been in quarantine for ten months. We received our first shots on Jan. 19, and our second happens on Feb. 9.
We didn't jump any line, but I still feel guilty. We have had the ability to self-quarantine, order groceries delivered, and practice retail-therapy through Amazon. If we could have given our place in line to a teacher or an essential worker, we would. Still, the cold reality is if we contract the virus, we are at high risk for a bad outcome.
We are relieved to be one dose down with one to go.
With that relief and a national coup attempt thwarted, I've had stirrings of thoughts of making plans. Plans! Purpose! What a concept.
I booked the new Maser Monarch Lodge in Dickinson County for an Okoboji Writers' Retreat (Sept. 19-22). Details are shaping up, but I already have speakers booked, including the literary agent who represented Barack Obama, along with terrific Iowa columnists, reporters, and editors. Just the kick in the pants to get that memoir going, eh? Even if no attendees sign up, it's going to be a blast. Stay tuned.
What about you? What's been different beyond the obvious? What surprised you about yourself during this pandemic?
Not all of you can stay safely at home—especially those serving in the Iowa Legislature, where there is no requirement to wear a mask. You can't wear jeans on the House floor, but you don't have to put a small piece of fabric covering your mouth and nose that might save the lives of your colleagues and staff. Or yourself.
Pro-life, my ass.
Many elected officials choose not to have their traditional portrait taken because the designated photographer doesn't wear a goddam mask in a small space.
Yes, I used profanity. Appropriately, I believe.
The speaker of the Iowa House who is making these decisions is the grandson of Senator Charles Grassley. Those in-the-know assume Pat Grassley will be the heir apparent to the seat his grandfather won by 60-70% in the last six cycles.
Attempted homicide via Covid notwithstanding, I'm sure the 2004 Hawkeye Community College graduate is a nice guy. But, Iowa, you have some serious job interviewing to do before electing him to be one of 100 United States Senators to represent you.
Family business consultants would call the younger Grassley a 'Gen Three,' meaning he's of the third generation in the family business. It takes a special kind of offspring to step into these leadership positions. And the Gen Three family members can't hold it as an entitlement if the business is to be successful.
I don't recall any section of the Iowa Code or Constitution that promotes primogeniture (passing a seat in Congress). See link below.
The younger Grassley seems to have disqualified himself over how he's putting his colleagues' lives at risk if nothing else.
Back to the initial topic, how have you managed this pandemic? How's your mental health? Plusses? Minuses? What will be different if we ever get back to 'normal?' Are you still married?
We've rewatched 'West Wing,' (for the tenth time) 'The American President,' (for the 12th time), 'Gambit,' 'Bridgerton,' 'Longmire,' 'The Crown,' 'My Octopus Teacher,' 'Becoming,' 'Emily in Paris' and 'Justified.' That's just on Netflix. It would be too many words to add selections from Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO, Showtime, and all the cable news programs. Listing everything would triple the size of this paragraph.
We also watched two full seasons of 'Married at First Sight,' which I strongly recommend you do not start.
I'm not proud of this, but there we are.
That first vaccination was mini-transformational. The new mindset inspired me to start this column. But mostly, I’m watching TV and Twitter.
Your turn, please? The lines are open, as we say in talk radio :
Links for more information:
Navigating the pandemic for me has been doubling down into more study and seizing plenty of enthusiasm to look at how the world is evolving - developing my Mindset to see all the opportunities as opposed to holding an attitude the society is divided and can nevermore be changed.
Well, I hope you have completed ‘Life in Pieces’ on Prime. Some good, much needed laughs.
I am a hand shaker, going to miss that post pandemic because I’m pretty sure that isn’t coming back. I am also a little concerned that I will forget to cover my face when sneezing when we stop wearing masks.