Did you ever have one of those “Oh yeah!” moments, wherein
the stars aligned, and all was right in the world? It seems like a long time
ago since I last felt that way. With all the stress and uncertainty swirling
about right now, sometimes it is hard to remember those moments.
Yesterday was a weird Mother’s Day. Many people are separated
from their families and cannot be with their mothers. Like me, many more were
reminiscing about their mothers who are no longer alive. I’ve been poring
through a lot of old photographs in the past few weeks. Sometimes it is helpful
to get a little shot of perspective. Shauna posted a photo she took of me with
my Mom over twenty years ago. It made me smile, and then I cried a little.
The other day on TECH 5 broadcast, Ben Harrison read the
transcript of a mock bedtime story he gleaned from YouTube, and I found it
amusing while at the same time, true. It involved a little boy imploring his
dad to once again tell him the story of the COVID-19 pandemic. The gist of the
story, told in a fairy tale style, was that everyone in the world was forced to
change and sacrifice. Then, once the pandemic had passed, those people realized
they were happier remaining in the more connected, less technology-driven,
fast-paced world that they had left behind. I’ve been pining for that world for
some time, snarled and tangled as I have become in the land of trolls, reality
TV, bad news channels, social media, and “labour-saving” technology. As I read
the 500 page owner’s manual for my Honda (only available in CD form by the way),
trying to figure out why my key fob now only unlocks one door in my 4-door SUV
instead of all the doors, it occurred to me, once again, that maybe I don’t
need 4 different methods with which to lock and unlock my car doors.
I’ve had a song on my mind of late, written by the Drive-By
Truckers, entitled “The Sands Of Iwo Jima”, and it is about a WWII vet. Last
Friday marked the 75th Anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe. From
the dwindling population of WWII vets, one elderly man was interviewed on the
news that night, and his optimism was refreshing. He and so many of his fellow
soldiers had seen unspeakably horrible things, but many of those who survived
went on to be selfless, humble, remarkable citizens. They prevailed. Of course,
there was collateral damage. Some came back mentally scarred, and undoubtedly,
all of them returned from battle changed. That old vet’s words stuck in my
mind. He spoke of the current pandemic, and his attitude was the same as it
probably was in the 40s. If we fight through this thing, we will eventually
prevail, and we will survive, stronger for having endured the challenges. This
is a war, make no mistake about it.
It’s been a long time since mankind was called upon to unite
against a common enemy. There is no doubt the world has never been a sicker, more
divided place. It’s so easy to point to Rump, the go-to scapegoat. He is a walking,
talking turd emoji, The Commander-In-Tweet, and few will disagree he is a
boorish, ignorant fool. Still, I think he is just the canary in the coal mine. We as a species have a long history of making
mistakes. There is progress and there is technology, and sometimes the two are
mutually exclusive. Social media, spin-driven news, and the resulting erosion
of social values have fanned the flames of hatred. Who wants to be a leader in
this world today? Look at our priorities. Big shot athletes and famous actors
are revered, while true heroes are marginalized, or ignored altogether. Right
now, the focus is on extolling the right heroes: the doctors, the nurses, the PSWs,
the firemen, the emergency first responders, the front line workers in
essential services, but why now? It is because, for the moment, they are
newsworthy; they are dying to protect us. My heart breaks every time I hear a
story about some minority bus driver or PSW who was snatched by COVID-19
because we as a society did not have his or her back. I take partial responsibility
for that, which probably sounds hypocritical coming from an entitled white man.
Think about it though, isn’t it simply a matter of time before we will all
perish if we do not reset the way we think? Turn the other cheek, forgive,
figure out a way to look beyond your own personal needs, and try to help
someone else who is not like you. I am no evangelist, but I do feel we can’t save
ourselves if we can’t help each other. Whether you can identify with the poor, the
homeless, and/or other minority groups, as Pogo the cartoon opossum said: “We
have met the enemy and he is us.” The current status of my faith in a higher
power is unsure at present, but lately, it feels as if there IS some kind of
cosmic reset occurring. Mother Nature, or the entity with a white flowing
beard, or pick your universal puppet master, has started to pull the strings
again. The clouds are parting, and a reverberating voice from the heavens booms:
“Hey, human race, you’ve come off the rails once again. It’s time for yet another
painful history lesson. Boost the empathy and compassion a bit, and hopefully
you can all learn to play nice with the other kids. You snooze, you lose, mankind.
It’s up to you, wake up or perish!”
I have been terrified of death all my life, but for some
reason I am a little less afraid of it these days. I still don’t want to die, but I’ve had a good
life so far, and I don’t have too many regrets. Perhaps I’ve become a little
more fatalistic with all the fear, anger, and heartache surrounding me. These
days I am concentrating on doing more than ever on doing much more for others
than I ever have before. I am reminded of and thankful for the courageous people
around me. I recognize their sacrifices. They too may be fearful, but they
manage to do the right thing in spite of it all. I salute them, I admire them, and I want to
emulate them. I want to do more good than harm, until the Grim Reaper points its
orange, bony finger at me and mutters, “You’re Fired!”.
Written by Jamie Oppenheimer ©2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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