So 2020 was a shit year, all the way around.
But holy hell, 2021 sure as shit seems to want to make it personal.
My father-in-law died of liver cancer back in May. The funeral was in June. Beautiful Wife found out she had breast cancer in July. We're doing a full double-mastectomy in August. The boys start school again in about a week and a half, in person, masks optional because the Governor of Texas is a murderous asshole. At my work, we just delayed -- again -- a major software migration because the goddam application has too many problems and we haven't been able to get it ready. And last week we learned that we had very possibly been exposed to COVID, because you can't vaccinate kids under twelve and the newer variants can still infect vaccinated folks even if they don't seem to do them as much immediate damage.
We got tested over the weekend, and the tests came back negative, but still. Avoiding people for another week, just to be sure.
Also, it's raining outside -- I'm writing this on Sunday -- which I normally find comforting but right now? Here? In Texas? In August? --feels like the bell that tolls for the end of the world by way of climate change.
And we could solve this. We could solve all of this. We could solve this, except we can't because of all the people who keep insisting that we shouldn't be worried about it in the first place.
I've said before that it's probably a good thing that the gods don't grant me Vast Supernatural Powers because I'd actually use them, but I've reconsidered. Give me that sort of power. See what I do with it. And let the powers of this world weep, because I'm sick to death of doing that myself over issues that shouldn't be issues.
Burn it all down.
I hate to say it but there were always going to be a few breakthrough infections just on the grounds that there's no such thing as a 100% effective medical intervention. The real problem is the possibility that a few will become a lot and we already have evidence that vaccinated COVID patient are just as infectious as unvaccinated patients.
ReplyDeleteI mean, you're right: COVID was never not going to be horrible. That's just how it works. But I am simultaneously furious and done with the folks who are deliberately making it worse than it had to be.
DeleteMichael,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your wife and the death of your father-in-law. Sometimes, life sucks. And then add the stuff won’t kill you, but makes life difficult and challenging … l understand your “burn it down” thinking.
Much love ❤️ to you and your wife. I have my own troubles and suffering, but your post is a reminder to me that other people — my friends — do too.
Bruce
Yeah. I mean: thank you, first of all. And you know damned well that if I had Vast Supernatural Powers I'd be doing my best to actually make things better; there are just some systems that need to be burned down for that to happen.
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