I am currently reading Apollo’s Arrow:The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live, by Nicholas Christakis. In it he writes about the Covid pandemic and it’s impact on society. He includes many comparisons, contrasts and parallels to previous pandemics ranging from the earliest pandemics from recorded history to SARs-1, ebola and…
The Invisible Man
I learned how to become invisible in the 3rd grade. My parents had divorced each other for the 2nd time and my mother moved us from our small hometown to Pittsburgh just 3 days before the new school year school started. I went from being a happy, secure and settled member of a large family…
Elbow Bursitis
Once again, I am rehabbing from an injury. This time it’s bursitis in my left elbow that I’ve now had for at least 3 weeks. Supposedly the treatment is RICE. I’ve been doing that – sort of. I’m still working out, but have modified my workouts to avoid straining my elbow – much. Having the…
Trudging Through The Holiday Season
This time of year brings back a flood of recent, sad memories. I am mentally girding myself for the season. Mostly, I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and doing what I always do – workout, swim, walk the dogs, vacuum, call friends, write blog posts, drum and paint. This year,…
Having No One Is Better Than Dating “Anyone”
As expected, I’ve been reminiscing about the life I had with my wife before she died. We had so many good times together. I think about our early years together, when I was a sex-crazed young man and every date was a passionate affair. I think about our first decade together, when we were fully…
The Madness Of Crowds
A bunch of people were injured and some died at a concert this past weekend when the crowd of 50,000 (reportedly) surged forward and people were crushed. I heard a crowd control expert discuss this on the news. He said that people will point the finger at the crowd saying things like: the crowd caused…
I Don’t Take Advice From Athletes, Actors, Reporters, Politicians And Singers
One thing that social media has done is given everyone a platform to voice their opinions without being filtered through editors, PR people and media specialists. For people like you and me, who are not famous, social media enables us to shout loudly into the void (instead of writing in our diaries or complaining to…
It’s (Not) The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Today is (would have been) my wife’s birthday (if she hadn’t died). It’s also the day, three years ago, that we made the decision to discontinue treatment for her metastasized lung cancer and called hospice. I wish the date wasn’t burned into my memory. In a few weeks it will be Thanksgiving. This used to…
Curses
The more time I spend alone, the more I talk to myself out loud using a liberal dose of f*-bombs, slurs and epithets. When I’m around others, I am more polite and don’t curse nearly as often. With close friends, I’ll drop a lot of swear words in casual conversation. This is something new for…
Should Shouldn’t
Whenever I catch myself thinking “I should” or “I shouldn’t”, I pause and ask myself “Why?” Most of the time, there’s no logical reason. Let’s take the weather for example. When it is under 70 degrees, I need to wear a fleece or I get cold. When it is 60 degrees, I need gloves to…