State of Mind

The sun shines bright. Temperatures are in the 80’s during the day and upper 60’s at night. Trees are leafing out. Grass is greening. Flowers are blooming. The sky is blue and free of heavy pollution. The pandemic is easing significantly, and public interaction is growing. Restaurants are re-opening, schools are open, commuters are returning to both the streets, and public transportation. The economy is picking up. Unemployment is dropping. The stock indexes are high and buoyant. Families are gathering again for important events – graduations, weddings, parties, holidays.

And yet, something is off. Public discussion is yet cantankerous. Election results are questioned months later. Political discourse is opposite of collaborative and innovative. This is true for municipalities, counties, state legislatures and Congress. All of Congress.

We are starved for live entertainment. Music of all types, especially classical in my case. Broadway musicals and plays have been shut down for 14+ months. We need their intellectual stimulation and joy. We need celebration and beauty. We need calm and ponder.

And wonder. We need to appreciate so much of what is truly amazing, good, positive. Has the pandemic shuttered that or helped us see it more clearly? I am not sure the answer. Not sure at all.

And so, the mind is not up and lively. No; the mind is bogged down with concern, worry and fret. Will the mind remain rooted in despair or worse? Or will it shudder once or twice and say enough!? Will that be the turning point back to reason and invention?

Dissatisfaction is a heavy in life, but it is also a motivator to change what can be changed. Change what needs to be changed. The how and to what remains an open question. Who will help make the good happen? Who will stand in its way? Will dissatisfaction be large enough to attract the doers and negate the naysayers?

That depends on the will of the people. You. And me. Us.

May 26, 2021