This thing has gotten to everyone

This past Monday, spoke to shopkeepers, co-workers, friends, acquaintances, even exes, and detected that the pandemic has turned things into a longer-standing "fuckaroo", to quote Stephen King's Dreamcatcher (stellar beginning, in that novel BTW).  

This thing has ground them down, whether they are weathering bitter divorce, loneliness, anxiety, grief, depression, panic or isolation, and ossifying sadness, defeatist views, even  an inability to compromise after being solitary for so long.

But light is coming through the cracks. Vaccinations, if you are lucky enough, are happening. Socializing is slowly expanding, but exhausting (we are not used to it). Pace yourself.

Treat yourself as you would others, but better. Try to be there for your peeps. If you can, reach out. Send a word-kind, encouraging, loving or event titillating, or give hope.

This thing has gotten to everyone. I might go into more detail later, with whys and wherefores, but the philosophy remains the same. Hold on tight, all.

For my part, I will be camping with my inner circle, my phone on hand for emergencies. I will also be trying to moderate my tendencies even while all the opportunities for two of the three P's (pot and pints) will have no restraints save those I apply. It is a well-deserved break, but all the planning and interpersonal interactions with friends leading up to it can get pretty little stressed until we land on the site. I am trying to keep this all in perspective. There are much greater problems than planning a camping trip with friends.

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