I scroll down the NY Times feed with my morning coffee. Delta variant is threatening us. Delta 8 is offering to make me forget my fears. Delta Airlines is offering an escape with flexible cancellation. You know the rest of the headlines. I scroll and find that after all the doom and gloom I choose to click on a NY Times recipe for Blackberry Frozen Yogurt with Cracker Crust Pie. Not just cracker crust, but Ritz cracker crust.
We want comfort. Solace. Respite. A friend guiltily said to me, “I miss Covid. I had no commitments, no social responsibilities, no need to show up.” It’s heresy. Of course we want to see our friends. And yet…
Someone recently wrote about the moment FDR declared war on Japan and how everyone in the US remembered where they were at that moment. Because everyone in the country heard the same piece of news. Now we have to choose what news we want to hear and believe. Delta is a thing. No it’s not. You need a booster. No you don’t. It’s exhausting. Friendships fracture. Belief systems get shattered.
I’m not saying we should go back to the “old days.” But can we take a breath? Step outside and once again admire the moon? (That ole’ devil moon really enjoyed all the social media posts of the last year.)
Make some pie?
I went for a walk the other day and the blackberries were cascading into the road. I had to go teach a class. OK, just one blackberry. The explosion of flavor in my mouth took me back to childhood blackberry picking adventures, blackberry smashed into a glass of milk with sugar, blackberry jam…Well, surely there’s time to pick a few. And magically, time stood still.
I don’t know what the future will bring. I do know that I need to spend more time in the present moment, whether it’s picking blackberries, or taking the time to roll around on the floor. As we wrestle with the various versions of fearful prognostications, and watch our politicians posture, let’s all pause and think of something we can do with Ritz Crackers.
And if rolling around sounds better than crushing crackers, scroll down for some great opportunities!