MOTHER'S DAY IN THE CORONA COSMOS

Well, I got up and made a super fancy cappuccino, like one does on Mother's Day, and brought it upstairs to Lisa. Then I googled "great scramble recipe" and found one I really like, set out to make it, and with a bit of effort, made a pretty rocking scramble/hash with potatoes, bell peppers, bacon, smoked Gouda,  and eggs baked into it. And then we sat on our porch and at brunch, waving at mostly mask wearing neighbors, soaking in the early May Colorado Sun. It was all pretty groovy, and I think, somehow, life is moving forward, holidays are celebrated, and the world spins round. In a way, it's amazing how quickly we adapt, normalize the new, and move on. Mostly gone is the panic, the shock, the sense of dread. In its place, we have steely resolve, humor, better relationships with most of our neighbors, and a keener sense of what's truly important. Of course, that doesn't begin to balance out all the sick, dead, and dying. Or the impending Great Again Depression. Those things all suck, forever and ever, amen. But it is nice to feel a sense of moving forward, of resilience, or the will to live. To fight for the right thing. To hope. I don't know if it is a thing with feathers, but it is inside of me. I think it's in most of us. And it seems to be strongest in those that are full of love.

So Happy Mother's Day, all you mothers. For those of us like me who don't have a mother to call or send a card to anymore, I hope you think of her with joy today. I do. I think of my mom a lot these days. What would she make of this? What would she say? It's strange, but when I hear people say "I'm glad so-and-so isn't here to see this", I think to myself "that's nuts". It is a rough time, yes. A horrific, scary, strange time. But it's also a time of miracles and wonders, of people finding themselves. Or reaching out to one another. A time of heroes. A time that will be written of in history books. We are at this huge turning point in the history of the human race. I think we all feel it, at an instinctual level. And I wish my mother was here to be a part of it. Of course, she is here, in me and my brother and sister. But still, it would be nice.

It seems like the virus has finally come to visit the White House. I've seen several references to The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe on social media. For those of you who haven't read it, please don't watch the Vincent Price film version thinking it has anything at all in common with the original other than the title. The story by Poe is about this rich asshole who thinks he will escape a plague sweeping across the land because he is rich, and that will take care of everything. He basically walls off a big castle, invites all his rich pals, and they have a party. And guess who shows up? Death, of course. The conqueror worm wins again. And now we have it happening in our country, to people who work with the most powerful man in the world. I wonder what will happen if one of the dies? How will our own Nero take it? Will he acknowledge it, or will they say "Oh, Jim is just on vacation. He's doing great, and says keep on Making America Great Again."


We do have to get rid of the current administration. A botched response to a global pandemic. An equally botched response to the coming Great Again Depression. A shocking lack of empathy and leadership when our country needs it most. Bye. Please, do let the door hit you on the ass. If we can't vote by mail, then we go on a general strike. If we don't get rent/mortgage relief, we go on a general strike. If we... ah, hell. Lots of "if we"s, aren't there. We all know things suck. We all know the old system has completely failed us. It's ok. It worked when it worked, but now that system's time has come. The Red Death is here, and it's time to change.

OK. Love, love, and more love.

Here's a song. It's "Isn't It Time" by The Babys.