Plague Journal, Playing
It is paradoxical that I spend yet another day of enjoyment by the lake, knowing that Germany is slammed by flooding, with great loss of life, and devastation. The corona virus, the latest, hyper contagious variant is exponentially increasing infections by the day, with more deaths to follow. The obvious question comes to mind — “Why do not unvaccinated individuals just step up to receive their injection?” Of course the answer is not that simple. There are two distinct cultures in the United States. Vaccinated individuals trust directives of government when it comes to public health. The other culture actively distrusts government. Vaccine refusal, or hesitancy (which is the same thing) is their act of resistance. Belief is a powerful force. What one believes shapes one’s future. One possible future is a premature, and unpleasant death.
Today we will spend one more day by the lake. Social dysfunction, the upheaval caused by climate warming, and weather events continue. At this point in time I am an “outside” observer. Though there is never an outside, as we humans are all linked by many bonds, natural as well as bonds industrial and commercial which we have made. What happens in Germany or Indonesia affects me, matters to me. Communities of anti-vaxxers are not islands which can be separated from me.
I will enjoy being by Lake Michigan as long as I can. The children will swim and play in the lake. More sand art will be created. We will take a long walk along the beach, viewing the effect of storms, the erosive impact of wind and water on the dune face, dunes long covered by humus supporting wild flowers and tall trees. The force of water and wind is not to be discounted, as tall trees topple down the face of a severed dune. We stopped by the pile of bleached wooden bones. I contemplated the brevity of an individuals life by comparison to the earth, that is our home.
2 thoughts on “Plague Journal, Playing”
I would call you more of an “encapsulated” observer than an “outside” observer. You have chosen to narrow your environment to a small house by a large lake where you can experience life as it might have been at one time in the past. It’s not that you are unaware of the nightmare of global catastrophes, it is just that you have made a wise decision to limit that exposure for a few days and concentrate on family and the beauty of nature. We all need these respites from the onslaught of bad news that can easily send us into a tailspin of despair.
Back here in the “real” world, I continually ask myself if there is anything I can do to mitigate the problems we face. The answer is “some.” We cannot solve the problems, but we can make a small difference within our insular world by helping neighbors and staying mindful of our own behavior, but we cannot keep the rest of humanity from moving our herd towards a dystopian precipice.
So enjoy your days away. Take heart that there are good things to wrap yourself around and bask in the love of family. We all deserve that time.
“Is there anything that I can do? The answer is ‘Some.'”
I like your sense of things. I agree. We cannot discount our effort to live responsibly, compassionately, aware of the stakes. There may well be a general consciousness raising, a shift of the axis of motivation away from capitalist extraction, — but it will not begin in this country. We are so indoctrinated, and conditioned to see ourselves as individuals with “rights” that a shift of attention to the effects of our way of life is unlikely.