moon thoughts

by Rain Trueax

April 6th and the setting of the Pink Moon. 

With my interest in full moons, I found two meanings for this moon. The first was that it's for the pink phlox and early bloomers. The second was it meant rebirth. Since Sunday is Easter, a time of resurrection for Christians, that's a good meaning. The time of rebirth. however, isn't always good. It means death first.

I have mentioned before that I am on Facebook. Currently, it's a good place for me. I like connecting with people there and sharing parts of my life. If someone asks an opinion type question, even on a topic I generally avoid, I will answer with my thoughts on it. BUT if it's peppered with insulting terms, if it's from someone I have considered a friend, I quit reading with the first of them and hide the post. If it's a 'friend' there that I don't know, I snooze them for a month and then unfollow if the nasty words are still there.

Some say they don't like coming to FB for the negativity. What I wrote above is a solution, which I need, as it's important for me right now as a place to connect with those I have gotten to know, where I am interested in how they are doing. The only way I can continue there is to get rid of what upsets me. Maybe it's my generation or how I was raised to be polite, but insulting words don't work for me even if I agree with them-- and once in a while, I might...

I have a thought on the virus, which I will share... read it or not as it works for you. 

Personally, we are sheltering in place and only going out for food for us or the birds. We are lucky to be on over an acre of desert with no homes right next to us; so it's peaceful here. The removal of peace comes in thinking about the virus and how it is impacting the community and those I care about. For some it has risen anger or fear in them. That isn't healthy. So I try to not be part of the problem. Why someone would want to feed anger, I have no idea. I had a political blog and am so happy I discontinued it before this all erupted. I wouldn't like feeling I needed to comment there on it. But, with reading and listening, I have come to some opinions.

We are not going to get rid of Covid-19. It will be with us like cancer, the flu, strange immune diseases, etc. What will change is our ability to deal with those of us where our bodies do not handle it based on age or pre-existing conditions. 

Before there is a vaccine, a certain percentage of people will get it and barely know they had it. Some will feel miserable. Some will end up in ICU like Boris Johnson, and some will die. Some who die had something taking them down anyway. Some just had a drastic shutdown that caught them off guard. Once there is a vaccine, those who can get it will do so. I will try it even though I can't do flu shots. How my body handles it will concern me but so would getting the virus given I am a prime candidate for a problem with being fat, old, immune problems (that came with age), and a family history of heart disease. 

Economically, I believe the stimulus will help but sooner than some will want, the United States will have to open up the businesses as government can only give people money one of two ways-- taxing someone who made it or printing more of it with no basis behind it. The latter is how the dollar you saved ends up worth much less than it did when you saved it. Taxing is the best way, but it means someone has to be making money-- and it never can be just the wealthy-- Despite what some believe, there are not enough of them to pay for a constant dole even a worthy one like this stimulus.

Some say economics should not be considered. I guess they have enough money already and don't need jobs. For the rest of the human family, jobs are how food is gotten as well as shelter, etc. So economic considerations, meaning to trade for what we want/need, do matter. 

I think this timeout gave the medical system time to get ready for more needing their care. It is not a cure for the pandemic. When people return to a more normal life, new people will be infected. The advantage of mitigation is to space this out for care. Also, the suggested meds that might help symptoms are not a cure either. They give the body time to do its thing. 

The real answer will come with a vaccine, and it won't be without side effects either. This is the human condition and always has been. I think we thought we were beyond it after antibiotics and vaccines for things like polio, smallpox, and the rest of what has plagued mankind-- and some still do like malaria and tuberculosis.

So when business opens up, continue to wash hands, stay away from others if sick, and accept it's how life has always been. One of my beliefs is live as healthy as you can and keep a positive attitude. Dream and plan for a brighter future. Anger or fear weaken our system. It's not easy to live that way. At times, I struggle with it, but I truly believe it makes each day better and gives our bodies more tools to fight whatever comes along that attacks us.

And on a brighter note, here is another of my puzzles. This is for a book about those who headed west in the 1850s. They faced so many trials but they persevered.

https://jigex.com/31DS