WHAT'S TODAY?

  A seemingly innocuous question which gives rise to certain stock answers. It might be the name of the day of the week or the date. It might mean the day in a countdown to an event. It might mean a weather report as in what is the weather called for today. Or even a question signaling a need for a reminder as to what the activities scheduled for the day are - and when. 

Just to interject here, sometimes that question "what's today" is fraught with diagnostic danger for the elderly. It is one of the questions asked to determine if one is attached to reality, oriented in time. Well, there is the danger point. We elderly often do not care to know the day of the week. We do know what is to happen that day or how many days more to whatever we are awaiting. Does the name of the day have any great impact upon that knowledge? No, not for us. We keep track anyway in our heads by countdowns and by schedule books in handy little notebooks or even, for those technically savant among us, on our phone schedule app. Note that leaves me out!

On the other hand, there is also the philosophical interpretation of that question. Indeed, what is today? Is it even real or is the old childhood nightmare of living in a dream actually real? Now that question can lead many interesting places, but generally it is a quick return from the brain games of outer space, those brain games the elderly are supposed to play faithfully, every day, to check in on their continued sanity and functioning brains. Never mind the score is actually a test not so much of the head but of the hand and how slower it has become due to arthritis! 

Yup. See, we elderly know the truth, all the ruses attempting to induce us to buy more games so that we fend off further deterioration - at least for a time, that is, when we will need yet more games, more aid and reassurance of our continued viability as functioning, capable people, elderly as we might be. Even as we balance our books, organize our daily lives, live full lives replete with cultural events, creativity in modes we have begun anew. I have shocked myself as once upon a time my creativity was limited to teaching, writing, am now   painting, experimenting with glass and porcelain, loving creating wood items and wall art, have taken up jigsaw puzzles, and love boxing! Really do, even possessing my own home boxing bag and speed bag. 

But what is today, you persist in asking. Ummm, wait, early movie time, so it is Friday. Why do you need to know! Do you have plans for today? Why ae you so curious about my plans? Think I am going to remain stiff, in a chair, staring into space, falling asleep as the book tumbles to the floor? Okay, there are times that book does tumble, but my library card is quite active, and I continue to read voraciously. Nope, still functioning quite well at the current moment, and that WD-40 does help get the joints moving!  What time is it? What, of that moment? Go away! 

Seriously, though, very much so, is the philosophical question which defies any reassuring and reassured answers. What exactly is today? How have we lost our anchors, morphed into crazed, stubborn heedless creatures more determined to get one over the other than to cooperate and actually accomplish something worthwhile. What is today when we are told by a former president that he won a clearly lost election, demands its overturn, his reinstatement, and goes postal every day on his Twitter account or X, whatever is the name of the day. Demands to discount the Constitution, mouthing off venomously, continuously endorsing a continued coup attempt, defying court orders, expecting an appeal to the Supreme Court, supremely bigoted, supremely corrupted, bribed, blind to impartiality, a vindication of his madness.

 There are other questions of the day, some of importance, others not so. Why and where has the joy of holding a book, a real book, gone? Holding an e-reader contrasted with the heft of a real book, the booky aroma, the satisfied yet sad sigh upon closing the back cover at book's end? No substitute can top that. 

Then of course, one of my pet peeves - those arrogant 'know it all' critters who simply "know, just know, they are right, always and forever". Justify, prove - no, never you mind; simply take my word for it, trust me. - as they continue so sanguine in their 'rightness'. So bad for the rest of us. So arrogant in their dealings with others, determined to suppress any and all opposition. Banning the free dissemination of knowledge, picking and choosing between "allowable'' hatreds and prejudices, suborning all to their benighted state of being. 

This is a definite dilemma, a plague of today. I thought once we were bright enough, advanced enough, open and educated enough to discern and separate the chaff from the wheat. We are not. At least not today. What's today? Nothing good or too little of good.  

Today can disappoint. After two days of school Yitzy was back in the hospital with a bad reaction to a brutal chemo -fever, nausea. Thankfully he has been allowed to return home, under careful watch and we hope the good time, the good 'today' will return quickly. A day to answer, 'a very good day' when questioned "what's today'. He is so brave, so trustful of his doctors, his faith in G-d strong and steady. Your prayers continue to be so needed, so necessary.

 A togetherness, united for a good cause, for a healing not only of Yitzy, but also for all those needful of healing, especially in this troubled world of ours with conflicting philosophies of answers to "What's today?" Certainly, to reach a point where today is clear and we are trusting to a good future, no matter the calendar date or the name of the day of the week. 

Please, let us all keep on with the strength of this togetherness, so effective, so all encompassing, so powerful is the shared love, the shared togetherness. 

Together, always together.

Together, united for good.

Together.

Together.

We can heal the nation.

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu.