Better Things Ahead

So we are still here. But so much has happened since my last post. The world is for the most part still held in the grip of this pandemic. Repeat closings follow close on the heels of premature openings as the numbers start to surge in some states. Unfortunately, I live in one of those states.

People are tired, I see that, but so foolish it’s astonishing. Why refuse to wear a mask because it infringes on your personal freedom when not wearing one will ultimately take away not just yours but everyone else’s freedom and maybe their lives? It seems to me the ultimate stupidity and selfishness. The leader of the free world is not helping on that score. Stupid and selfish and lethal.

Some people are now doing family/friend “bubbles.” Getting together with those that have quarantined for two weeks. Unfortunately, our families are so far apart it is at the moment a logistical impossibility.

The other thing that I must mention is the extraordinary marches and demonstrations for equality, LGBTQ rights, #blacklivesmatter and anti-racism that have taken place all over the world. The world’s attention is on these issues and there finally seems to be a move toward meaningful legislation. It took centuries to get to this place. The changes won’t happen overnight. It may be that none of it would have happened at this time unless we had this pandemic. Interestingly, most marchers wore masks, and they did not get sick.

The world is watching. Finally. My biggest struggle is where I can best be of use. What can I do to make a difference besides add my voice to support them. One image has stayed with me. It was a young man holding a sign saying, “Please don’t be afraid of us.”

This seems like a good place to start: Don’t be afraid. Don’t look away. Keep listening and learning.

WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD- JUNE 2020 BOOK SELECTION

This novel by Susan Crandall is another Book Club selection. From the online description I was imagining a sweet, unusual friendship story between Starla, a nine-year-old girl and Eula, a black woman she meets by chance. It was not at all what I expected. It is indeed a story of a friendship between Starla and Eula, the woman who gives her a ride. However, the rest is a surprise.

Starla is a feisty little girl living with her emotionally abusive grandmother. She desperately wants to join her mother whom she believes to be a singing star in Nashville. Working on an oil rig in the Gulf, her father has been mostly absent. 

Deeply unhappy, Starla disobeys her grandmother frequently and fearing retribution for her latest escapade, she runs away from home. Heading on foot to Nashville to join her mother, she has no plan how to find her. Eula, a stranger, stops and gives Starla a ride. Starla soon learns that Eula has another passenger, a baby she has kidnapped.

The story is an adventure for the two from beginning to end. An attempted murder, an actual murder, desperate escapes, heartbreak and resolution take the reader on a wild ride with these two unlikely heroines. Recommend.