Cool It

The temper of the times is hot. Anger at hand – ready to spit venom at will. Strike fast. Hit with shock. Tell the bastard(s) what you think. Don’t let them get away with their views. Maybe even spit at them?

Recoil? Gut wrenched? Blood pressure rising? Cool fear, disgust emerging?

Stop. Take a deep breath. Smell fresh air. Exhale. Feel the tension ebb. Do it again. And again.

In the moment of calm that follows, think of glassy waters at a favorite lake, ocean bay or even a spare tarn. Think those images. The calm. The rest. Ease. Tension melting away. Blood pressure falling. Breathe slowly. Smell again the fresh and clean air.

Move away from disturbing images of TV, computer, Twitter, Facebook and all the rest. Know that you are not alone. You are OK. Others are OK. Everyone is not making trouble, agitating. Many are doing their jobs – cooking, serving, studying, learning, reading, writing, calculating, testing theories, doing lab work, providing medical care, painting a house, repairing a broken step, building a new house.

The activities of everyday people. Doing for self and others. Living life one day at a time.

This too shall pass. And it will.

Family is family. Neighborhood is home. Town is community. Church is church. School is school. We are the us in community. We are OK. Life goes on. With purpose. And value.

November will come. Elections will happen. Results will be announced the next day or week. Winners and losers tallied. Transfer of office, authority and power will slide seamlessly from one to another. Life goes on.

Thanksgiving will arrive as it always has. So too Christmas, New Years and winter’s awful weather. Then spring. Life renews.

Some will survive, some won’t. Life’s cycle continues as day follows night.

You’ve heard these words before. Know them. Feel their rhythm. It sustains us.

September 1, 2020