This should be the greatest edition of Wise Madness ever! Why? I’ve had not my usual two cups but four cups of coffee. After six you can move things with your mind. After eight travel through space and time, after 10 you gain the powers of a god. Is this news to anybody? This should be the basis of a new superhero universe, Team Caffeine! Thanos and Lex Luthor would crumble before them. One problem, after all that buildup I haven’t decided what I’m going to write. During the age of quarantine that is always the most difficult part of blogging. I don’t do anything. My thoughts always seem more attractive in my head than when I turn them into words, but there are only so many times that I can write of the glories of Syracuse salt potatoes or bacon and eggs for breakfast. There is no limit to how many times I can eat and love them. I went year eating peanut butter every day.
Yesterday’s highlight was talking to Emily for over two hours. Even without the forced isolation I love long conversations with friends. That’s the advantage of having intelligent and creative people in your life. The problem with the highlight of my day being a private conversation is the private part. I will say that we have hatched a cunning plan that is pretty damn wonderful. I’m excited.
I’ve listened to entire pop-up concert by Amy Speace since I wrote that last sentence. I usually write to instrumental music, it’s tougher when there are lyrics, and even tougher when it’s live and I want to make comments during the show. On the other hand, I now know what I’m writing about thanks to Amy and Rebecca Loebe whose email I answered. I often say that I’m a member of a non-exclusive club, Friends of Christine Lavin. Chris makes sure that her friends know each other. She is a community builder. I’ve always wanted to be like that and the question I ask, is did I succeed? Am I a nexus? I think to some degree I am. I know I send tendrils out all over, but do those tendrils for independent connections? I loved that I was part of this chain of friendships, Larry-Andrew-Me-Aubrey-Alan, and that Larry and Alan ended up seeing each other without any of the intervening people. What’s surprising is that none of those are musical connections. What’s tragic is that two of them, both younger than me, have died. I just had a dream about Larry, Marcia and Jan Brady were in it too. My sleeping brain makes weird connections. Saying that took my mind off my friends that died too young.
In the music world I always assume my friends know each other and forget to introduce them. I figure if I see them all the time they have to see each other. It doesn’t work that way. I know I’m not the only one that thinks that way. Oh no, this line of thought is leading to another friend that died. Time to shift gears.
I sometimes try to bring people together, like at my birthday gatherings. It shouldn’t just be at funerals. I don’t know how many times I’ve said, “You must have met her at one of my parents’ funerals.” More death? I’m feeling happy, why is death stalking this entry? Is it all the caffeine? I’ll just put it down to the circle of life. The thing that put this all in my mind is planning out two events where I’ll be bringing people together. I never give parties, but I enjoy inviting people and figuring out who should know whom and who will be oil and water.
Tomorrow is the big day; we are getting a new president. I could say we are getting a president as Trump has not been acting as one since the election. We are in a time of crisis so the changeover will have a more immediate effect than usual. Trump had no interest in the details of combatting the pandemic; Biden realizes that this is the challenge of our time. I supported Warren and big structural change, but simple competence will have a huge effect and one that will manifest more quickly. I have become a COVID-19 optimist. It will continue to get worse for a while but with President Biden the prospect of reaching herd immunity by July is achievable. As people see hundreds of millions getting vaccinated and doing well the resistance to vaccination will wane. There will always be resisters, but we don’t need everyone on board. Unlike the people that resist measles and other vaccines, people have experienced the devastation of COVID-19, it’s not theoretical. Not having a president who is downplaying the pandemic will make a huge difference. Some Republican governors are already taking it seriously, the more that do, the easier it will be for the rest to come on board. We probably won’t get Falcon Ridge this year, even if we’ve achieved herd immunity by then, as it takes too much lead time to prepare. I’m optimistic but that’s not the same as knowing. If we want to minimize the loss of life everyone must act like pessimists. I’m remaining for the most part a hermit.
I planned on going out for a walk today, it looks like I won’t. Maybe after the inauguration I’ll celebrate by going out and even buying eggs! That’s living the life of Riley. I don’t mean Buffy’s season four boyfriend, aka the potato. I know that most of you have no idea what that means, that’s OK. I might have made one or two people smile. If not I gave myself a chuckle.
Wise Madness 