Solitaire and Bird Watching

I’ve caught myself playing Solitaire on my iPad a lot lately. It tends to blot out other mind buzzing thoughts - like thinking about the government’s response to COVID-19, the on and off lockdowns, the social dilemmas that crop up. There is so much information/disinformation out there in the media (mainstream, social, & alternative) for people to sort out......what is true or untrue, scientifically sound, conspiracy driven, politically driven? It’s been a long haul and most of us have more or less determined our own path to follow down the information highway. If a friend, relative or neighbor thinks your path is crooked so be it. You think theirs is twisted! A friend of mine stated the mindset of folks very well, I couldn’t do it better so I quote, “What’s on my mind is that people are getting mean.  Typing things that would get them slapped in person. Division amongst the people is real and felt even in small communities where there used to be a sense of closeness. Like a big family. Not anymore. Opinions are getting stronger.  Unnecessary shaming is getting to an embarrassing level of stupidity. Both sides are adamant and there is no room for discussion. Sad to see...”

The social and economic pain resulting from this pandemic has been enormous. Has it caused a permanent change in our society, in the way we perceive others, in our level of tolerance, in our level of empathy? Has it made us permanently paranoid? Will we bounce back? 

Considering the lamentable way we treat our environment, this will probably not be that last pandemic we face. I hope this test run has resulted in some learning for the next time around. As it is now both the disease and the response are causing a great deal of harm. There has to be a better way.

I feel the underlying tension all around me and am so grateful that I live in a rural setting. I can go for days without encountering a single person. I can care for my lambs, walk my dogs, sit out in the sun on warm days, plan my garden, tend to my bedding plants, play Solitaire, watch Netflix, enjoy the birds at the feeder, the geese grazing on the lawn, and the frogs croaking their tune on the lake. What an amazing privilege shared by so few! It isn’t always easy, but I will never regret the day we turned our backs on city life. For me, city amenities hold no allure compared to the beauty and serenity of the natural world. 

Spring, it’s bound to be followed by Summer.

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