Reflections on films, politics, and everything else.

Our state’s stay-at-home order, that was put in place back in mid-March, will expire on Friday. In essence, the governor has extended it, with some staggered loosening to begin. I both understand why, but also feel some tugs of frustration, wanting this to all be over. I’m certainly thankful our Republican governor doesn’t subscribe to the “Party of Stupid” mentality so many others, especially in the south, proclaim as the American way. I think it’s the loss of control over what we’re able to do that hit so many people so hard. There have been articles in The New Yorker and podcasts that have talked about how China was able to so quickly, after initial denials, get the virus under control (even if their published numbers may never be accurate). I can’t imagine Americans willingly doing what their citizens did to stop the spread; we are clearly not sacrificers. Here in Ohio, Governor DeWine first announced this past Monday that when retail operations opened back up in a few

Like many of us, I haven’t been very productive lately. I tried signing up for Coursera classes, which have been a mixed bag, but also haven’t spurred me on to do anything. Creative Mornings is now offering Zoom fieldtrips, but I’m beginning to feel meditated out. I finally managed to finish reading a book, but Emily St. John Mandel’s apocalyptic story, Station Eleven , may not have been the best choice right now. Granted the book didn’t become a Hollywood disaster/zombie film (thankfully no zombies in the book or in real life yet), but it added to my melancholy. I tried to convince myself that reading about the worst/or quasi-worst outcome (99% of the population dies due to the swine flu in the book, and within 48 hours of developing symptoms) would make what we’re dealing with easier somehow. Instead, I keep thinking we may end up like that outcome thanks to our incompetent and impatient government. I’m still spending too much time on Facebook posting anti-Trump articles to

Normally I don’t think of myself as a panicky person, but I do have the ability to pick up on what’s in the air, which causes me to behave in ways I might not otherwise. Generally it’s only a problem around the holidays, but things are very different now for all of us. While I’d read about COVID-19 and heard stories on podcasts earlier in the year, it didn’t dawn on me that it was coming to my area until mid-March. I’d been having some health issues, which there seem to be no answers for anytime soon, and was distracted during late February and early March. I went to my gym on Thursday, March 12. By then most colleges and universities in the area were closed, along with a few major retailers like Apple. I thanked the woman at the desk for being open, which caused her to immediately panic, asking if I’d heard anything. I assured her I hadn’t, and we briefly chatted wondering if her play and my classical concert would occur that weekend. When I went back to the gym on Friday, M