NOTES FROM CAPTIVITY: PARALLEL UNIVERSES

On the morning news today, there was an update on whether masks needed to be worn outside. My reaction: Is that happening in a parallel universe, or what?

Most of the country quit wearing  masks outside about a year ago – particularly on the beach – hence my puzzlement.

The gist of the CDC update was that if you are outside, vaccinated, and with family, you were OK to not wear a mask. Doc Tony weighed in with a ‘clarification’, explaining family. He lost me on 2^nd cousin twice removed, but that’s my problem, I guess.

I had a similar reaction to the President’s recent speech: A group of octogenarians, all vaccinated, wearing masks and distanced. What’s the point of vaccines in their parallel universe?

And we are now being asked to wear a mask as a ‘courtesy’ to those around us. To the people who have made an active choice not to get vaccinated?

But it made me ponder our current “polarized society”, which we usually ascribe as a political phenomenon, but which extends well beyond that. Everywhere you look there are alternate realities. But it has always been such.

The political divide is the most obvious, as each side listens to it’s own opinion reinforcing ‘news’ channel, and we’ve reached a point where an approval rating just above 50% is “strong”. But if you think today is bad, read the transcripts of the Senate debates over Lincoln’s goatee. The beard was a bipartisan compromise, but not enough to avert the Civil War.

Generations are polarized as well, and always have been. Mine is the 13^th consecutive generation to believe the next generation will ruin the world.

Back in the day, hair was a battleground. In college, I got a haircut every May. It irritated my parents for a while, but once they began saying it looked good, I got it shaved. I’ve destroyed all the photos. Think Fabio – but hotter.

And music has always been parallel universed, as each generation’s music irritates their parents. Rock music made my parents crazy, the screechier the better – that is, until their hearing began to go and it became less of an issue.  

This generation has nailed irritation with their music. Rap/hip-hop was/is irritating – I still maintain it has zero redeeming value – but once I quit commenting, it became our kid’s unfortunate version of a really bad haircut.

Music always has been ultimately about love, but when you listen to rap lyrics, they’re talking about love that I wouldn’t be physically capable of, sometimes with animals that I used to think of as just pets. But it will make me watch the Kentucky Derby differently. And where’s the Me-Too movement when you need it?

Social media has a distinct role in this, as well. I’m not on Facebook, but apparently they slandered/supported Trump depending on your ‘news’ source. And while I know virtually nothing about social media, having never met a Troll – though he sure got his in a recent rap song I heard, but seemed to enjoy it – it’s anonymity allows our inside voices to become our outloud voice, where we have the ‘courage’ to destroy those with whom we don’t agree personally and/or professionally.

But I did join Instagram recently to promote this post, and am now at 40 followers. Is that good?

And I won’t get into the parallel universes that are part of every marriage, because my Captor reads this before I post. But I can see you nodding your heads.

So, what can we agree on? How about a universal sigh of relief that the pandemic is nearly over, and that normal life resumes on June 1^st. Or earlier, in some universes.

But if I really had the answer to connecting our universes, I would be happy to post it on Instagram. I believe that would get me to 100+ followers. Is that good?

(Do me a favor, please. If you’ve read this far, and haven’t already done so, please leave a comment and check the box marked “notify me of future posts”. You will then automatically be sent this post each Sunday, and designated a “follower” in my personal universe. The fortitude to continue…)

ENHANCE YOUR READING ENJOYMENT, PAIR THIS POST WITH THESE SONGS:

You Never Know  Wilco “Come on children, you’re acting like children,
Every generation thinks it’s the end of the world”   I Might  Wilco “You won’t light the kids on fire… but I might”
Andy Sings  The Henry Clay People “We were old enough to know better, But young enough not to care.” The Impostor  Elvis Costello “When I said that I was lying, I might have been lying”   Next Time you say Forever  Neko Case “Just because you don’t believe me, Doesn’t mean I didn’t mean it” You are nowhere and it’s now  Bright Eyes “There’s no truth you say…who cares…But you say it like you’re right. Lost in thought, I walk a block, to my favorite neon sign. Where the waitress looks concerned but never says a word. You are nowhere and it’s now.”