Changes
Ever since this pandemic business cropped up, everything is different. It used to be that you could walk around, go into stores and be around others without fear of catching a disease, but now you have to wear a mask, stay at least six feet away from other people and sanitize your hands before and after touching anything. Elsewise, you could infect others and they and you could both end up dead. These are some very strange changes.”
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes, turn and face the strange ch-ch-changes. Just gonna have to be a different man. Time may change me, but I can’t trace time.” (“Changes” – David Bowie – 1971)
I used to be able to go to concerts and movies but, now, there are none to go to. I also used to be able to eat indoors at restaurants, but now I have to eat outside, with flies encircling me. I used to be able to fly on airplanes to other countries, but now it’s not safe to do that and, besides, the other countries don’t want me or anyone else to go there because those people fear getting infected, too. I also enjoy cruising on ocean liners and had scheduled a seven-day Alaskan cruise in October, but now that’s been canceled.
And life on the mountain is changing; you used to be able to greet people you know, shake hands and smile at them when you go places like the post office or a store, but now they can’t tell if you’re smiling and vice versa, because of these dang masks. You also used to be able to go to work or public meetings or school, but now, even if you do still have a job, you must do all these things by way of a computer.
With so many businesses closed and people out of work, many have more time on their hands and they are bored because there’s nothing to do, so they come up here, expecting to swim in our lake, but the lake is closed. People everywhere are frustrated and angry. Compounding all of this is climate change, racial discord, rioting in the streets and politicians hurling lies and insults. Sometimes changes are necessary in order put an end to all of what’s wrong.
“Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call, don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall, for he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled, there’s a battle outside and it is ragin’. It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls, for the times they are a-changin’.” (“The Times They Are A-changin’ – Bob Dylan – 1964)
Like it or not, change is inevitable. Hopefully, the bad changes will go away and the good ones will stay.
“Strange changes fascinating me. Ah, changes are taking the pace I’m going through, ch-ch-changes, turn and face the strange ch-ch-changes. Pretty soon now you’re gonna get older. Time may change me, but I can’t trace time.”
Keep it flyin’ Uncle Mott