GUEST SUBMISSION Rise and Whine

I am uncertain why during this Summer of My Malcontent (The title of my manuscript which is under construction) I cannot get a full night’s sleep. My internal alarm is set for 3:00AM, and it doesn’t have a snooze button. Melatonin seems to kick in about 10AM the next morning. Even tried cutting out coffee.

In America, there is great societal unrest. Not just in faraway megalopolises, but even here locally. That’s right – Gotham City, the City Beautiful and my little beach village all have their fair share. Protests, riots, and bears are now daily occurrences, regardless of the protester’s geographic proximity or relationship to the episode which ignited today’s commotion.

Economically, some businesses are surviving while others are on the cusp of failing. As a student of politics, the political divisiveness is unlike I have ever seen or studied; it is as if Archduke Ferdinand has just been re-assassinated and Yugoslavia is about to re-born (and we know how that turned out). Cultural endeavors are sadly cancelling their event seasons. Professional sports matches are sporadically being played, but only when the overpaid brats are not too busy trying to grab headlines for their self-righteous aggrievement du jour. Unknown college prospects are mimicking those actions threatening to cause the cancelation of all fall sports. Only 20% of NBA players are registered to vote – when they take their civic responsibility sincerely, then maybe I’ll take them seriously.

Personally, I am without real turmoil in my world. I can create some drama if I think about. My arthritic left knee burns continually, and my daughters do not spend enough time with their dad. I cannot seem to lose my quarantine fifteen. My facial skin is flaking like a warm croissant, and my barnacle count is rising like the unemployment rate. I know I’ll get an earful from my dermatologist for the frequency of my beach visits. My business is solid, there are fish tacos on the table and Tesla stock is skyrocketing.

The tribulations of 2020 are not unique to recent American history. History repeats itself – right? I have been searching for a corollary year. How about 1968?

’68 had a world-wide pandemic, civil rights protests, Vietnam war protests, assassinations, a slowing economy portending the 1969-70 recession, and protesters being cleared from public parks with violent police forces using excessive tear gas (Chicago’s Grant Park). Any of this sound familiar? (In the early 80’s I attended a lecture by Yippie leader Jerry Rubin for poly-sci extra credit although I was clueless why he was famous.)

1968 was the year Trump received his 1-Y draft deferment (unqualified for duty) and Biden celebrated his 50th birthday! (Ok, the latter isn’t true… he was actually turned 26 in November).

As I have composed this essay, I racked my brain for childhood memories. While the memories have freely flowed, there is no logical chronological order. I was certainly alive in 1968, but not attuned into political, civic, or economic events. comparisons to the Spanish Flu (1918 – 1920). Did you know that in 1968 – 1969 there was a Hong Kong flu pandemic? Google tells me that the Hong Kong flu was responsible for an estimated 1 million deaths worldwide and about 100,000 in the United States. – but I do not remember my grandparents being concerned.

My very first current event memory that I can date is from 1972, when George Wallace was shot. I know not why I cannot remember Bobby Kennedy being murdered, or Martin Luther King being assassinated, but that was 1968. My paternal grandparents were hospitalized from a serious car accident, but I don’t know which year that was either. I remember taking my dad to the airport for his second Vietnam deployment which I think was 1969. I was just too young to comprehend the civil unrest of those times, and I didn’t have a rotary dial cell phone with a 24-hour news cycle to keep me informed. I learned from my sports research that 1968 included a Black Panthers’ protest at the Mexico Olympics (now an iconic image) and that Mickey Lolich pitched 3 complete games, with the Tigers beating the Cards to become World Series champs (I have his baseball card).

Back to the 2020s. During a client conversation this week I had a take-inventory-moment reflective pause. The client was reporting on how busy they are. These surgeons focus on Lasik and cataract surgeries. Thanks to the safety benefit of masks, in particular seniors, are wearing face coverings as they venture in our Covid-19 infected world. However, people are growing increasingly annoyed with the centuries’ old technology of spectacles. Those bespectacled types are using modern medical surgeries to eliminate the nuisance of eyewear which fog up, slip off, and do not fit correctly when wearing a mask. Voilà!

Which other daily products and practices are obsolete and can be replaced with new widgets and gadgets? Tesla has a car that drives itself and Husqvarna has a robot that mows your lawn. Siri and my Google Mini stalk and eavesdrop my every conversation and serve ads for my every wanton need – even if ain’t politically correct or socially acceptable. Amazon and Uber Eats will deliver any product you need to your front door – remember when FedEx bragged about “By 10 Tomorrow Morning?” Beam me up Scotty!

I attribute my sleeplessness to our societal mayhem. While I have no doubt life will regain equilibrium, there is so much I don’t understand. Maybe my cerebrum is being underutilized, or just simply does not have the capacity to piece together a cohesive understanding or proffer a resolution to make peace with 2020. If you are not resting well, please have solace in knowing you are not the only one. And if you able to sleep through the night without being disturbed by CV-19, #BLM, National Hurricane Center updates, the fact that the Red Sox will finish under .500 (and the list goes on), PLEASE share your methods! I could use a good night’s sleep!

The Village Idiot