Plague Journal, Summer Heat

September 17, 2021 Jerry King Comments 0 Comment

I walked north along the Fox River trail from Batavia to Geneva yesterday. In my estimation this is not a long walk, about two miles round trip. I could not fail to notice how low the river is presently. Due to a lack of rain you could walk across the shallows bank to bank, in many places. The trail path goes through the woods. Several “ancient” oak trees capture my attention as I pass. These trees draw sustaining moisture from the ground, their branches extending for many feet perpendicular to a trunk so large in diameter, that it would take three of me holding hands to circumference the great trunk… Such trees have lived alongside the river longer than I have been alive. The oak leaves appear dull green, curling in reaction to the dry conditions, to days of low humidity, to late summer heat. It is a dry time.

Nearing the end of my walk, the cell phone rang. The call was from my brother in North Carolina. He called to warn me not to get a vaccine booster shot. He explained that he had heard an epidemiologists interviewed by a right wing radio personality who said that covid vaccines actually destroy the bodies natural immunity to the virus. Therefore immunization increases the odds that one will become ill. Moreover the government is lying to us.

I thanked my brother for calling me. I said that I’d keep the information in mind. I did offer for my brother’s consideration that both of us benefit considerably from public education which is a government funded and supported. Moreover we move about easily, conveniently, on good roads, all built and maintained by the government. Would these considerations motivate my brother to reconsider whether the government is lying about a vaccine to prevent potentially fatal infection from covid? Probably not. Does heat, the lack of rain, the flinty-mineral odor of summer air addle the mind, making “up” appear to be “down,” and white appear as black?

These photos of wild flowers were captured while on my walk. No matter the drought of late summer, beauty is discovered if we look for it. We find what we are looking for, do we not?

One more thing. The party formerly known as Republican, now the Trump-party is to hold a rally on the premises of the Capitol tomorrow. At the rally, the party faithful, disciples of the would-be tyrant, Donald J. Trump, will valorize those who assaulted the environs of Congress on January 6th, the failed attempt to forcibly overthrow the republic.

This tune by Annie Lennox and the Eurythmics is apropos for today. I read that the lyrics were composed by Lennox and Stuart at a time when the future seemed bleak and felt hopeless. Lennox in a biography speaking about the song said that we are all consumed by sweet dreams, attempts to live out our fantastic notions. We are surrounded. Everybody’s looking for something…

And that’s the way it is.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

By Annie Lennox and the Eurythmics

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody’s looking for something

Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody’s looking for something

Hold your head up, keep your head up, movin’ on
Hold your head up, movin’ on, keep your head up, movin’ on
Hold your head up, movin’ on, keep your head up, movin’ on
Hold your head up, movin’ on, keep your head up

Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody’s looking for something