My maternal grandmother, 'Mammy' Bennett, the family Christianity lightening rod often said, "The Lord won't put more on your plate than you can handle and He will never abandon you." That is comforting and I do believe it. Mammy's husband, E. V. once told me that lessons learn in the school of hard-knocks are never forgotten." That is not comforting but I believe it because I've experienced it and so have you who are reading this rant.
As a former competitive athlete and athletic coach, I more readily recall setbacks and defeats than I do the more frequently experienced victories. I can only conclude this is a reality because the 'agony (sting of loss) lingers nearer the emotional surface for recall than does the ecstasy of victory.' Furthermore, I understand quickly the 'why' for defeat rather than the 'why' for victory. I suppose those are the 'hard-knock' lessons E.V. was suggesting.
The fallout-lessons being learn from this worldwide coronavirus pandemic certainly are relentless and shall be remembered for a lifetime. Here are but a few of my coronavirus lesson perceptions:
1. I can protest with a firearm, which is not seen as weapon but my hug or handshake is a weapon.
2. I've learn that my government leaders have a similar philosophy as my father who once told me to "Do as I say, not as I do," thus explaining why those leaders reject all virus mitigating protocol.
3. The nation's economic well-being is more important than the life of its senior citizen. Oldsters would be better off as an unborn fetus today. All the Evangelical preachers, i.e., Franklin Graham and others must be on board with this notion since they don't speak out as they do on abortions.
4. I must lear n to deal with the emotional angst not being able to embrace, hug or kiss a child, grandchild or great-grandchild.
5. I am sorting through the logic of a people that would invade a land, capture the natives and place them on reservations, then after telling them to "shelter-in-place" due to a killer virus are then told they must reopen to travelers. Does this mean anybody may now enter my property?
6. I must now listen more carefully to spoken words and voice tone/inflection since face masks now deny 'reading another's facial expressions.
7. I discorevered during my 81-year journey that I took for granted restaurant dinning, touching objects, shopping ventures, concert and theater attendance and breaking bread at church.
8. I must re-invent graduation, wedding and life-ending celebrations.
9. This pandemic has deprived me of my sports' following and proven to me that Hero personalities can change on a dime or should I say, a virus. I would anticipate that soon teachers will be signing multi-million dollar contracts, nurses and doctors' photos will begin appearing on bubble gum cards and first responders and reasearch scientiests will be inducted in the Health Care Hall of Fame while political leaders will receive Golden Globe and Academy Awards in areas of Science Fiction and Cartoons.
10. Learn to pray more often for those fighting for air, those running towards infection to help and those who cannot be bedside holding the hand of a dying loved one..
Finally, the most difficult lesson to process and bitter to learn is the 'open' dismantling of the American free press and the take over of a Trump White House informational propaganda.
I can say that which I fought to never say, "I long for the good old days," when America WAS great!
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