December 2020
Dear friends,
It’s been a rough year. Several
friends lost parents to the coronavirus or other illnesses. Other friends
contracted the virus, yet thankfully recovered. My thoughts are with all who
have struggled with health or lost loved ones this year. My thoughts are also
with those of you who have lost jobs, suffered pay cuts, or have otherwise
struggled due to the pandemic.
My immediate family has also dealt with health issues. My
sister and father have had various health concerns yet keep holding on. And Momma's radiation treatment
last year may have slowed the growth of her lung cancer but did not kill it. Chemotherapy
this year didn’t kill it, either, and she suffered debilitating side effects.
Yet, after a bleak prognosis from her oncologist, and some new meds for her
chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Momma is feeling better, at least for now, and is
as feisty and interfering in my life as ever. Nothing like bad news to perk up
my lineage. 😊
Treatment having failed, the lung cancer will eventually kill Momma, and
she knows it, yet her equanimity is impressive. Not too long ago she sent me an
email which read, “Today I am leading the book group at the synagogue.
So-and-so was going to lead it, but she died, so now I am leading it.” The
Buddha would be impressed, too.
I have been appreciative of my friends’ inquiries about Momma’s health
throughout the year. I will miss her terribly when she is no longer in this
life.
As for me, and as for many, my struggles this year were more internal: I
have struggled with loneliness and depression, even more than usual. Thankfully,
I am addicted to regular exercise, including yoga, which helps to mitigate. My
piano and piano lessons over Zoom have been a source of comfort and growth. Next
year I will investigate fostering a cat, since adopting a hippopotamus, while
obviously preferable, alas, seems impractical. For now. 😉
And I don’t want the loneliness and depression to go away entirely. I can’t
help but think the pandemic was nature’s wakeup call for us to pause and
observe our current existence, and see where there is pain, personal or global,
in need of remedy. Discomfort can spur us to act, and nothing aggravates me
more than toxic positivity.
In the meantime, it’s been a
year of impaired existence, constrained by masks and limited social
interactions. We’re not making many new memories; we’re just trying to survive.
It’s been a time of assessing the past versus working towards the future. I’ve
found myself visiting places and things filled with memories: Ithaca, NY, and
Cornell; extended stays in in New York City; my photos, journals, and
yearbooks. Between these travels and double pigeon (yoga pose), I find memories
-- good, bad, awkward, embarrassing – bubbling to the surface, all part of a
journey backward. At least that is more interesting than the current mix of
ennui and fear.
I re-read the editorial I wrote
– with a heavy lift from my 9th grade English teacher – for my
junior high school yearbook. Borrowing from Francis Bacon, the theme was
“Knowledge is power.” I noted how scientific discoveries had advanced
civilization through the millennia. I was hopeful then.
I no longer think that statement is true. We have millions of books,
thousands of journals and journal articles, sources of knowledge online and in
print. We are drowning in knowledge. Yet none of that knowledge was able to
prevent or stop this pandemic timely.
Bill Gates gave a TED talk in 2015 warning us about the risk of a pandemic,
yet many were surprised when it arrived. The prior administration prepared a handbook for future administrations
to use in case of a pandemic. Yet still, America failed in testing, in providing
personal protective equipment, in tracing contacts, and ultimately in flattening
the curve and controlling the spread.
I've come to see that while knowledge can lead to power, it is not equivalent.
Knowledge must be applied effectively. Researchers have to work across
disciplines, to make sure their findings are accessible to all those who need to
hear them and become institutionalized. The elitism that permeates academia –
and parts of government, by extension, which I’ve seen first-hand – only serves
to alienate further those parts of the public that are already skeptical of
experts.
Yet it is also incumbent on the public to be willing students, to stay informed
and heed guidance. On an A train where a gently humorous sign showing right and wrong ways of wearing masks was posted, there were
people on that same train wearing masks under their noses.
Of course, it doesn’t help when some of our leaders, for political gain,
give mixed messages about proper behavior. While some direct their anger at opportunistic
and craven elected officials – not unjustifiably -- I reserve most of mine for
those who voted these cretins in.
So, at a time when we are overflowing with knowledge and technology, we
have been anything but empowered during this crisis. Instead, we've gotten
sick, watched loved ones get sick and die, seen faceless numbers in the news,
how many infected, how many people died today, states in different shades of
red on an online map. I feel especially badly for the health care and essential
workers who have risked and lost their lives to sustain the rest of us. And the
reports of people storming state capitols and attending large events without
masks are disheartening.
It is difficult to quantify how often this is happening. Yet, America is
dubiously leading the world in COVID-19 cases and deaths, and has among the highest of cases
per capita among nations. Clearly,
America is handling this pandemic atrociously.
Many of us don't seem to learn from the past. There were battles over wearing masks 100
years ago during the 1918 flu pandemic. And here we are again. We have the same
problems generation after generation, whether problems with governance or
tolerance. It is disappointing.
Thankfully, we are on the cusp of receiving vaccines, a relatively small
comfort amidst vast suffering. I am grateful for the applied wisdom and
perseverance of our scientists. In the meantime, it will be a difficult winter
ahead. In the long-term, we still need to deal with climate change. It is
enheartening that President-elect Biden will be creating a cabinet-level
position dedicated to climate change. I fear it will be too little, and way too late.
Wishing you and your families resilience and safety during the holidays and
in the months to come. Feel free to drop me a note to let me know how you are
doing, especially if it’s been a while.
Love,
Rich
