It was excellent for part of the family to move Covid isolation to McCall. We hoped a change would be as good as a rest and for the most part it was effective. Sledding, snow mountain climbing, hiking to the nearly frozen lake, indoor basketball, competing on the Switch seem better in the forest environment. Yes, there were still a few moments of sibling bickering but they were short lived and easily solved with an ice cream cone.
Hank and I spent some time watching Mystery Doug. Do you know how January got its name? The Romans followed many unique gods, Poseidon, Zeus, and Janus to name a few. Janus was the Diety with two faces, one face looks to the past and other looks to the future. As we relentlessly look back to the top events of the last year, we begin to consider how we might us those lessons to live life better or differently in the new year. This is the source of the tradition of making “resolutions.” What can we do to improve ourselves, our family, our work product, our happiness, our emotional and physical well being? I am told that resolutions are not made to be broken but to be inspirational. So many of us have given up on the tradition. In spite of that fact, I hereby resolve to continue to speak out for our democracy.
I got up early Thursday morning to let the dog out into the new freshly fallen snow. Imagine my surprise when I notice a 20 foot plus section of pine tree resting on top of the wood shed. Megan tells me it hit the cabin about 2am with a great shudder and then silence. I apparently was not disturbed. The top portion of a 100 foot pine tree snapped under the snow load and winds and landed on the snow covered roof. What could have been a big issue turned out to be a non event. I love using the chain saw and made short work of the tree. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow came to mind as I considered the situation. “Thy fate is the common fate of all, into each life some rain must fall.” In the “Rainy Day” Longfellow delves into themes of nature, emotion, and depression. The tone and mood of the poem are a bit gloomy but the final stanza asserts that the darkness is not going to last forever. That’s a relief.
As we look back on the frightening events of 2021, it is good to remember that this craziness need not last forever. Experienced, empathetic, and right minded leadership is in place in Washington. The battle for our democracy is never fully won but the thought of bowing to authoritarianism is unacceptable. Longfellow said, “we should look at the great men before us as an example to how to leave a mark on history…..one good decision or one bad mistake, can be imprinted on the sands of time, for eternity.” Longfellow was talking about Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and the fathers of the constitution. Choosing our leadership is critical to the future of our country.
Happy New Year. Mike