Thoughts Triggered in Just Two Minutes on Facebook

There was a post from Joh pleading for his family with an attachment for gofundme.  Both Corey and Joh are aware that it is a hard time for everybody and raising money has been an issue for everyone towards one cause or another and probably struggling themselves.  I reposted his gofundme plea along with my own words that his mom and I share the same birthday.  I was able to enjoy eating cake and playing games.  She could not.  She has been in the hospital for two weeks.

          The next post I saw was a mother and a son spending time in an amusement park enjoying themselves while social distancing.  They were on a ride in the air.  The ride itself offers a large space between each “lift”  -  my first thought was, “Yes, there’s an essential – to open the amusement parks” but I did not leave my snarky comment.  Outdoor activities seem like they are less risky than indoor.

This particular family who had gone to the amusement park has had a hard go at staying afloat.  Perhaps someone had given them complimentary tickets.  Perhaps someone could see their need for something that I don’t fully understand.  Perhaps she had some pressing issues that she needed a break from and saw the amusement park as an opportunity to do so.  I have never walked in their shoes and hope not to.  I have never walked in Joh’s shoes either.  I just feel closer to his situation as he is family.

          His father had passed away in June 2013.  Two months later my mom passed.  Both had dementia.  Joh’s mother had offered to take in my mom.  Of course that did not come to pass.  I have always been appreciative of her offer – as well as Corey who told me about her offer.

          Next post was Corey’s concerns that aren’t COVID related.  So many racial prejudices and slanders going on our country right now.  He shared these words by Langston Hughes:

 

"What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?"

 

          Have we learned nothing while in this pandemic?  I think some of us have grown stronger while others have been creating a past that shouldn’t be forgotten but certainly not embraced.  Why do these things have to happen? 

 

          And then I come across this post.  Seriously?  Who’s bright idea was this?  Have they ever been to a public school classroom?  How is anybody supposed to learn in this kind of environment?  Can you feel the depression? 

          Another post shows a woman in the pool happy to be in the swimming pool on an overly warm day.  Not me.  There is no way I am getting into a public swimming pool any time this year. I’d feel like I was climbing into a giant petri dish. 

           We can try putting ourselves in the shoes of another but still will never fully understand their point of view or why they do certain things or why they don’t.  I am amazed by the actions of others.

Mask Wars

    

                          purcaholic.tumblr.com

           Cory mentions the facebook post of a friend who addressed concerns about “shaming people” into not agreeing with individual choices.  Some people are designed to be social even though others may feel comfortable with staying at home.  Some people feel the need to open non-essential employment in oeder to make a living.  At the same time there are many employed front-line workers who would gladly trade places with the unemployed in order to get a break.  There are valid reasons that others have for social distancing or choosing not to.  There are valid reasons for choosing to stay at home.  There are those who believe wearing a mask is connected with saving lives. Mask wearers may feel annoyed with ones who don’t.  And yet not all of these non-mask wearers are selfish, self-centered or ignorant.  Many of them view the mask wearers as the ones who are ignorant and self-absorbed. 

          Another post gave an example of ignorance with safety issues expressing the inhumanity of others who are so busy with their masks and social distancing that they overlook others who may needs assistance – such as elderly people at a supermarket who may not be steady on their feet, lose their balance and fall.  Does anybody rescue the one who falls?  Is the rescuer wearing a mask or not?  It doesn’t seem possible to help an individual to his/her feet while maintaining social distancing.  When we attempt to follow the law to the letter, we often forget about our fellow beings.  Aren’t they more important?  We can’t just blindly wear our mask and look away.  What would Jesus do?  I think he’d wear a mask, but he would also come to the rescue of whoever needs it – social distancing or not.

           A quote from her post says: “You cannot continue to harden your heart to the peple around you, just so you feel a little safer today.  Because that safety is a fallacy.”

 She closed her post with quotes from scriptures as a simple reminder of where our priorities should be. 

dailyverses.net

 

thedome.org

dailyverses.net

        I love this quote from one of my brother’s posts:  “Compassion is a key, not just for the people we are trying to protect and save from the virus, but also for the ones we don’t understand and who may require saving from other insidious difficulties. . . . when I make assumptions or judgments about [other people] perhaps it is me who is being unkind and self-centered.”

from spirit science quotes

5 cards

I opened 5 cards yesterday. 

First one sent from Kearns, Utah

It said:

"Wish you were still here

Sure Do Miss You!"

Second Card sent Local

It said:

"So grateful you moved into our ward

We're so glad that you're here."

Third one was from my cousin.

She had sent it to the wrong address

But our former neighbor forwarded it.

Forth card was to me from the school

Fifth card - no return address and

no signature.  Just a thought

to wish Merry Christmas and a

gift card

which Roland wanted to use for

food storage.

He thinks war is coming.

Our Nation's President has

offended many people.

Roland drove us to Grants Pass

It was my second time being there

since we moved to Oregon.

We splurged on food. 

The machine told us that we would

need a pin for our gift card

We might still be able to use it

for placing orders online.

But I don't know.

Roland says it is good until

Christmas Day 2025.