Reflections

After more than 300 posts, it's time to reflect and to return to the roots of what has become more of a narrative on the political pandemic infecting this country. So back to joy of life.

To be fair, much of the joy I have experienced in the past twelve months has been the joy of being generally removed from the political insanity that permeates American media today, from Hollywood, to newsrooms, to editorial pages, to social media, life and civic discourse has worsened considerably for much of the country. So my first substantial, enduring joy has been a sort of guilty pleasure, of being able to say, "There for but the grace of God go I." Avoiding much of the mainstream media provides a touch point for joy, primarily when I stumble across a particularly duplicitous mainstream media article, column or comment, and I appreciate the majority of my life when I do NOT have to listen to or read such nonsense. But enough of this damning with faint praise approach. Let's get to the truly good stuff.

For the following, I am most grateful:

• Fr Carl and Holy Spirit bring me daily joy. [Note: Just today I received clearance to work at the school, after completing online training and application.]

• The success, happiness, health and well-being of Dena, Jane and Gaby bring me daily joy.

• The middle of a good, long walk, under pleasant weather makes me happy, almost daily.

• Our master shower, with its water pressure and water temperature, brings me daily comfort and relief.

• My creaky lounger, pushed back to a near horizontal position, with memories of business class overseas airline seating, gives me positive memories.

• For a soft, warm bed each night, I am grateful on a daily basis.

• For a refrigerator and pantry, usually stocked with everything I need, I don't need and more, I am always grateful. And that includes those late evening snacks!

• For the positive contacts, often with distant friends, that social media provide me, I am often happy.

• For access to medical care, medicine, and advice, I am most appreciative.

• For having the resources to provide for and to protect my family, I am daily grateful.

• I am grateful to have had a successful, meaningful and hopefully impactful career, making me grateful now for the joy of no longer having to deal with the downside of academic life, a life that has deteriorated over the last twenty years and seems near collapse today. And it is relaxing -- most of the time -- to no longer be on a schedule of classes, exams, papers, grading, journal and conference deadlines, and other structural impositions on my day. Been there, done that. Great to be gone.