WALKING THE LINE

     There are lines in life. We are always walking them, or crossing them, sometimes a good thing and other times not so much. Life is often a struggle trying to figue out where the edges of these lines are and what happens when one goes past those edges. Without experiments about that, humanity would never have moved forward, but when done carelessly and without forethought, well, look what we now have.
     Yesterday, in one of the many books I have been reading of late, there was a line: "Pray for me." That was a good request and not a bad idea. We need to pray that those in charge are truly in charge, but in a positive manner. We need strong leaders who, when not there, are leading us not into temptation, but into massive waves and inundations of terror, of panic, of confusion and of death and destruction. 
    Yesterday, last night, I read of a wonderful doctor who has helped many, whom I know, principaled his children, who is lying in an ICU hooked to machines. It is one thing when it is out there, as you praise yourself for being so good and adaptive as you molder in isolation, as you miss your family, but to hear of a real consequence in terms of life and death - well, that is a horse of a different color. Depression descended upon me.
     The global death toll is over 30,000 and climbing with no end in sight. This virus is resilient and strong. It is determined to hang around and jump right in when an opportunity presents itself. There apparently is no escape and sometimes it feels as if we are simply sitting around, waiting for it to hit us, even as life is shutting down around us. Making a decision for a run to the store for groceries has now become a life and death situation. Wear gloves or wash right after or do both? Wear the mask again or even wear one if one has one? How close to be in line and what about the person behind you who edges up too close? Do you help that stumbling young mother with the three kids holding on to her legs?
     There are good moments that we must cherish, recognize for what they are. A parade of cars, honking, with cheering people inside - a parade of teachers in their cars rolling through the neighborhoods of their students, reminding them they are not forgotten, still cherished. Heartwarming and important. As we distance ourselves physically we must draw closer emotionally and socially in as many safe ways that we can. Without that tie, that line of humanity, we will have lost that line, crossed over into there be dragons territory, certainly not a good place to be.
     Yet even as we conform to new rules of life, to new lines to be trodden, we must watch out for other lines, ones that divide, one that are frightening in their future possibilities. These are the lines that are separating us as a people, that are causing us to forget that we are a nation united, the United States of America. Unfortunately, for the past three years we have basically been told to forget that idea, that we are actually divided into growing 'stans' of differences. Just yesterday I read an article wherein one expert whom  I admire wrote of a huge change within the next couple of years if we forget who we are. I have been writing of that possiblity for months already and truly hate the I told you so I am entitled to say. I would rather we turned the other way, reached over to the correct line, the unity line and stay on it.
     Life has changed all over the world. All countries, be it Venezuela or Hungary or Bangladesh or England or America, we have all changed. Are we to come through this crisis as whole people, or are we to be maimed, missing essential ideas of unity, of humanity? Can and will we work together to fight against this resurgent virus and others to come, for certainly, that is a certainty. Just as this was, just as Trump refused to acknowledge that, as he closed any and all agencies prepared to handle and plan for this, just as he is now scaring the bejeezus out of many as he stresses his "military" presidency. G-d help us if he follows through on that, invoking that and calling the troops into the streets of the nation, cordoning off the WH as he refuses to leave after he loses the election - and oh, boy, must he lose!! Our very future depends on that result.
       "These are the times that try mens' souls."
       " It is the best of times. It is the worst of times."
       "No man is an island."
       "Do not go gentle into that good night."
   The lines of inspiration and pleadings are there, not difficult to find but perhaps difficult to act upon. Only we can do this. Only we can pull the world back from the edges of isolation, of peril, of fracturing and back onto a firmer, wider line that will guide us to where we need to be, where we need to go. So yes, pray for us, and then act upon that prayer. Stay the distance. Challenge the depression and despair, the bleakness of a might be not so good future. Yes, there will be, no doubt about it, a Before and an After. We are already deep into that change, but it can also be what we make of it - or what we prevent.
      Here is an  old Welsh inscription that might help one to get back firmly on the line of hope, of a good After.
    "The sun on the hill forgot to die, and the lilies revived, and the dragonfly came back to dream on the river."
      We all await that day. We all need to work towards that day. We all need to stay safe, stay well, keep to the lines of humanity and hope, of optimism, of life.