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A Mild Monday Morning in March

3/31/2020

Bird and Raccoon were playing a game of catch when Bird got bonked on the head.
"Poor Bird, would a hug help?"
Rabbit gave bird a hug.
"It's not helping."
. . .
"What you need is a cookie," said Beaver. "You can fix any problem with a cookie."
from: Boo Hoo Bird
written and illustrated by Jeremy Tankard
Scholastic, 2009
Some of you know I'm taking a poetry class (for almost free) through Youngstown State University's 60+ program (since I am). The class is completely on-line, which is a very new for me and a little bit anxiety-causing. Lucky for me, too. One thing in my life did not change.
Our professor is really well organized. Although I've only seen criticism on my own work, he is astute, clear-spoken (okay, written), and kind. We write one poem each week and give critiques to our classmates. We're graded on our critiques and our original poems.
Here's mine from last week. As always, comments are welcome and appreciated.

A Mild Monday Morning in March
Droplets splash, puddling sidewalks, backyards.
Sparrows tip speckled heads, sipping, sipping.
Deer graze, lazily, on daylilies, dahlias.

Flash! Crash!
Wind whooshing wildly.
Skybursting thunder.
Quick, quick.
Run. Seek shelter. Slam doors.

Gasp. Breathe. Sigh. Relief.

But, no
relief.

Gasp! Rasp!

Danger lurks in
corners, hides in
carpets, cupboards, bedclothes.
Waits- invisible,
infectious.
Impatient as a mother waits
for the wail of her newborn.

Waits- invisible
for another victim and
another and
another.

Again and again till all that’s left is sobbing, wailing, longing.
Dark disk eclipsed the sun.

Till all is over. Danger spent.
Gasp. Breathe. Sigh. Relief.

Calm restored.
Corona glows.
--stay curious! (and connected to each other)

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What’s a Gig?

3/24/2020

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The front lawn didn’t take long, but before I was done the next-door neighbor came to the fence, attracted by the dust cloud. He waved me over.
     . . .
“You mow lawns?” he asked. “How much?”
   And that was how it started.
from Lawn Boy
by Gary Paulsen
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House, 2007

After I found out what the gig economy is, I realized how much I depend on it. We all do, really. I know lots of people who are part of it, or at least they were until last week or so. Covid 19 has most of it pretty much shut down.
   Turns out everyone who works independently, everyone who starts up his or her own business, everyone who works as a freelancer, is a gig worker, just like the narrator in the quote from Lawn Boy. The gig economy is named after musicians who are hired to play gigs. Their work may or may not be steady. It depends whether anyone wants their services.
   The gig economy is made up of all the independent workers. You know them. Hair stylists, house cleaners, dog walkers, the mechanic who works out of his garage, writers, artists, entertainers, Uber drivers (at least at this writing). It’s a long list. Probably farm workers are. For sure the people who have stalls in a Farmer’s Market.
   We depend on them, and our whole economy does.
   They pay taxes, probably more than big corporations do. They sometimes employ other people, too. According to https://www.lawcareers.net/Explore/CommercialQuestion/Travers-Smith-LLP-The-gig-economy-Uber-and-Deliveroo “[t]he 'gig economy' describes a working practice whereby individuals are paid for the 'gigs' they do rather than for their time.” The carpenter you hire to build your garage, the seamstress you pay to hem your new pants.
   You get the idea. I could probably complete all 800 words of this blog with a list of gig workers. I won’t. I’m thinking more about what they are all doing now that so many of us are sheltered in place.
   No one is asking for their services. Without work, there is no money coming in to pay for rent/mortgages, food, utilities, petcare, prescriptions, Bandaids, and especially toilet paper. (I still don’t understand the hoarding mentality of that.)
   Or taxes.
Gig workers mostly do *not* have paid health insurance or paid sick days.
   Our leaders in Congress are working out a plan to support those workers who are vital to keeping our economy going. The Federal Reserve assures us that in co-ordination with the Treasury Department, anyone who wants access to his or her cash will be able to retrieve it. Small business loans will be easy to get and some will be forgiven under certain conditions. Loans for big businesses will be available, too.
   Unemployment payments are the responsibility of the individual states. The Federal government says it will help.
   Millions of people will use these resources to move from day to day while we shelter in place. Most impacted, though, are the gig workers. And there isn’t a whole lot we can do about it. We’re told to stay home unless we need to refill our prescriptions, or other medical issues. Or buy food. Here in Ohio restaurants are still allowed to provide food for customers on a carry-out or delivery basis only. Ohio’s list of what is open and what’s not is at https://www.cleveland.com/news/2020/03/whats-open-closed-under-ohios-stay-at-home-order.html Those neighborhood restaurants are full of gig workers.
   So I started thinking about the shelter-in-place order. I understand that this rogue virus needs to be contained. I know that you don’t always know you have it, so the rampant infection is spreading wildly. I know there is no cure (yet) or even medicine to relieve the symptoms, but it feels like we’re going around this whole thing kinda inside-out.
   We have always been told to stay home when we’re sick. In other words, we isolate the sick people and the people who are well can go about their business, gig workers, or employees, or CEOs, or anyone else. This time we’re isolating all the people who are well (and those who are sick or might be) and no one can go out or about.
   I’m not complaining. For introverts like me, this isolation is a respite from the demands I feel in my former, normal day to day. I relish the time I can stay home. I don’t miss being around people. I have to remind myself to call my friends, and I do. I know most people are not like me. And I really do feel for them. Really.
   So I guess the best advise I can give myself is to keep calling my friends, or text, or email. Keep physically not socially distant. To move around. A couple of flights of steps in the morning, laps around the island in the kitchen while I’m making dinner. It’s easy for me to curl up on my big, green chair with a book and stay there for a few hours. And wash my hands!
   Mom was really right about that!
-—stay curious! (and patient)

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Keeping My (Safe Physical) Distance

3/17/2020

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Too wet to go out
And too cold to play ball.
So we sat in the house.
We did nothing at all.

So all we could do was to
Sit!
   Sit!
       Sit!
           Sit!
And we did not like it.
Not one little bit.
from The Cat in the Hat
by Dr. Seuss
Random House/Houghton Mifflin Company, 1957

   We are all faced with the same issue. What do you do when everything is closed and there’s nowhere to go. When the restaurants closed at the end of business on Sunday, it felt like there was more to come. Every group I belong to, formal or informal, hd already sent email letting me know the meeting or activity or event was cancelled or postponed.
   Most of you who know me well, can imagine my relief. Although I am active and I like to be involved in community activities doing good work, I push myself because I know it’s good for me to be among people, especially like-minded people. It’s good for everyone, really, because like the saying goes, “many hands make light work.”
   I feel like all my obligations have evaporated, and it feels pretty good. And I know it’s temporary.
   Some people are people people, though. The lack of having something to do and someone to do it with weighs heavy on their hands and minds. The inability to make a difference in a committee’s good work is frustrating. Not able to volunteer, not able to meet friends for lunch, not able to workout at the gym. It feels like the whole world has ground to a screeching halt.
   The whole world has just come to a screeching, grinding halt.
   Today was supposed to be Ohio’s Primary. I love to vote on Election Day, so I didn’t vote absentee or choose to vote early. But yesterday, the governor exercised caution and concern for poll workers as well as the general public and postponed our Primary until June 2. Short of an invasion, he really can’t do that, legally. He does not have the authority. Setting dates for Elections is a function of the Legislature. Legal action will be taken against him, but it will probably come to nothing.
   I just downloaded an application for my absentee ballot. As soon as my ballot arrives, I will fill it in and return it. So far, the Post Office is still open and the dedicated postal workers are still working.
   So what in the world is going on? Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard of the virus going around.
   Not enough tests, not fast enough test results, not enough hospital beds, not enough ventilators, not enough personal protection equipment (PPE), makes this pandemic especially frightening.
   Not knowing what will happen next or how fast or where is especially unsettling. Most people do not thrive on change. I’m one of those. I like things to stay the same.
   The new Coronavirus has changed all that. COVID 19.
   Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause many illnesses including the common cold, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
   COVID 19 is a new strain that was discovered in 2019. It had not previously been seen in humans. It is more contagious than the flu or even SARS, or MERS. Infected people do not even know they are sick unless they have symptoms, a dry cough, shortness of breath, and a fever are the most common. So people can be carriers of COVID 19 and not even know it.
   That’s why doors are slamming shut.
   It’s incredibly sad to think of weddings receptions postponed, 50th anniversary parties, 80th or 100th birthday celebrations, baptisms, bar/bat mitzvah celebrations, confirmations, graduations, and of course funerals.
   We are social animals. We need each other. We need to be in community. So like Sally and her narrator brother in The Cat in the Hat, we can Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! or we can Skype or Facetime our friends and family, live stream meetings (I think!), message pictures to each other.
   My best virtual friend is Libby, the library e-source for books. It’s easy to download her from your library’s website to your phone, tablet or computer. The books are free. You can usually renew them. The library is full of wonderful digital sources, too. Try www.libraryvisit.org then click on the blue “Our Collection” tab.
   I took a walk today. So few cars were out that I could listen to the birds. I heard robins, cardinals, sparrows, crows, and some that I didn’t recognize. The Audubon Society’s website is great for listening to bird songs and identify them. https://www.audubon.org/birds Or try “bird songs” on Google and listen to some of them on YouTube. Or get the free TED app for an interesting listen.
   My backyard garden is calling me. The weather is sporadically warm and sunny. I plan to take advantage of the time away from my obligations and clean up out there, at least a little.
   I don’t mean to make light of this pandemic. It is real. More and more people will become sick. There is a limit to what we can do to prevent that. You’ve heard it all.
   Keep a safe physical distance, cover your coughs and sneezes, and wash your hands. Shop, but leave some cleaning products and paper products for your fellow shoppers. Grocery stores will stay open. They will re-stock.
   Not related to the virus, a corona is the plasma around the sun that we can see during an eclipse. It extends millions of miles into space. We need the total darkness of an eclipse to see the brightness of the corona.
   I choose to acknowledge, prepare, and respect the darkness, and appreciate the brightness I can see as a result.
The two best places to get current info about COVID 19:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html#
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
-—stay curious! (and keep your safe distance)

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Making Census of the Numbers

3/10/2020

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Millions of fingers!
Millions of thumbs!
Millions of monkeys
Drumming on drums!

Dum ditty Dum ditty
Dum dum dum
from Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb
written by Al Perkins
illustrated by Eric Gurney
Random House, 1969

As we approach April 1, no kidding, we also approach the decennial census. Once every ten years, our Constitution mandates counting all the people to ensure everyone is represented fairly. Sounds straightforward. Here’s the language from the Consitution, itself:
The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after
the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within
every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they
      shall by Law direct.
-—Article 1, Section 2 of the United States Constitution
   The first census was taken in 1790. George Washington was serving his first term as President. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson was in charge of gathering and making sense of the numbers. That year, the population was 3,929,625. Congress used the results to apportion 105 seats among fifteen states.
   Sounds good until a closer investigation reveals that not “all men [and women] are created equal” after all. The number of free persons were counted, even those who were indentured servants, as long as they were bound for a finite amount of time. Enslaved people were only counted as 3/5 of a person, so the representation was skewed in favor of free and potentially-free people. Native Americans were not counted at all since they were not required to pay taxes.
   Most everyone was counted, then, whether they were citizens or not, whether they were born in the United States or somewhere else, even if they were not allowed to vote.
   Native Americans living in the general population began being counted in 1860.
   When the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified on July 28, 1865, citizenship was granted to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States” which included former enslaved people who had just been freed after the Civil War. Each person now was fully counted as a whole person.
   It wasn’t until 1900, that Native people living on reservations were counted. While Native Tribes are exempt from taxes, individuals pay income tax on money earned on or off the Reservations. And with the United States Citizenship Act of 1924, Native Americans were acknowledged as citizens. It took the Voting Rights Act in 1957 to guarantee their right to vote. (Even today, in official communications, they are referred to as Indians. https://www.census.gov/history/www/genealogy/decennial_census_records/censuses_of_american_indians.html)
   Congressional representation is based on the Census. The number of representatives assigned to each state is determined by the number of people living in each state. States may gain or lose any number of representatives, based on their current population. And numbers of representatives can change every ten years. Each state sends the number of its Representatives plus two (for the Senators) to the Electoral College. (Check last week’s post for more about the Electoral College)
   After each Census, state officials re-draw the boundaries of their congressional and state legislative districts for the sole purpose of apportioning representatives.
   In the mid-1960s, the Supreme Court decided that a similar number of people should reside in each district. Sometimes, after a Census is tallied, an area needs to be re-drawn so a more consistent number of people can be represented. Gerrymandering comes into play when the lines are re-drawn to favor one political party or another. (see “Gerry Who?” June 4, 2019 if you want more of my take.)
   The Census is a population count. Although the intension of the Census is valid, to count the number of people living in the United States for the purpose of making our democracy more representative, we are moving, slooowly, in the direction of fairness.
   In 1830, US Marshalls gathered Census information. They received official schedules to record the information they collected.
   Specially hired and trained census-takers replaced the US Marshalls in 1880. These temporary government workers went door-to-door to gather their information.
   The U.S. Census Bureau began mailing questionnaires to households in 1960.
   And now for the first time, we are able to access our Census forms on line. The form can be completed in many, many languages. A comprehensive 9-1/2 minute video is at https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond.html
   The results are used by people who make crucial decisions in each community, and on regional, state, and federal levels. At stake is $675,000,000,000 (675 billion) for schools, (grants to support teachers and special education) roads and highways, (grants for public transportation), availability of school lunches and funding for HeadStart, support for firefighters and hospitals, and disaster response. And this is a very partial list.
   Census data is as secure as anything can be in this day and age. It is used statistically to allocate money to the places that need it the most.
   If you don’t opt to complete your census on-line, a form will be mailed to you. You can also choose to complete it over the phone. A census worker will come to your house sometime May through July to collect your information if you haven’t completed the information by then.
   The Census website is really very informative. From FAQs to security related issues try https://2020census.gov/en.html
   And while the numbers won’t be ready to re-apportion the Electoral College for the 2020 election, 2021 will be here before we know it.

-—stay curious! (and count yourself in. Count those you love, too)

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So Long, Seuss!

3/3/2020

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[Dad] frowned at me sternly from there in his seat,
   “Was there nothing to look at . . .no people to greet?
   Did nothing excite you or make your heart beat?”
“Nothing,” I said, growing red as a beet,
“But a plain horse and wagon on Mulberry Street.”
from And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss
Random House, 1937

One hundred and sixteen years ago yesterday, March 2, 1904, the world of children’s literature changed. Dr. Seuss had just been born.
   In his lifetime, he published over 60 books beginning in 1937, with his first children’s title And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street. It’s a fanciful romp through a boy’s imagination as he thinks of something exciting to tell his dad about the walk home from school. All he saw was a cart and a horse, but he embellished the tale so much in his imagination that we can’t help but laugh.
   Even at the stereotyped illustrations of the “Rajah, with rubies, perched high on a throne” (on an elephant) and “A Chinese man/Who eats with sticks.”
   At the end of the story, the boy from Mulberry Street, even with his fantastic imagination, tell his father the truth.
   Dr. Seuss wrote The Cat in the Hat at the request of his editor at Random House, a dare, really. A study showed American kids weren’t reading as well as they could. His challenge was to write a story with a very limited vocabulary that appealed to kids. It took him a year, but The Cat in the Hat was born with 236 words in 1957. Kids loved to read that book. Reading scores improved. Dr. Seuss wrote more and more rhyming, funny picture books. And lots of tongue-twisters, too.
   In 1971, just as people were beginning to talk about saving trees and conservation, Dr. Seuss published The Lorax, an environmental masterpiece.
   So why after more than 20 years has the National Education Association backed away from celebrating Seuss? To put it simply, they are changing their focus. Even just a quick glance at their home page, https://www.readacrossamerica.org , shows cute kids, cartoon and real, interacting with grown-ups and books.
   They encourage everyone to “join us as we celebrate a nation of diverse readers with these recommended books, authors, and teaching resources that represent an array of experiences and cultures.”
There is no room for stereotypes, bullies, exclusivism of any kind. And that is a good thing.
   We have become, lately, a divided nation. Some people are full of hatred fueled by fear. Some others, I like to think a large group of thinkers and doers, work for a pluralistic, inclusive, society to bring up children where kindness is an important value and learning about each other is encouraged.
   So maybe a slide to the side of Seuss is warranted. Maybe it’s time to make room for diversity. Maybe it’s time to modernize. After all, Dr. Seuss was 87 years old when he died in 1991. Aside from a few manuscripts published posthumously and a collaboration between Lane Smith and Jack Prelutsky who finished and illustrated the incomplete manuscript Hooray! For Diffendoofer Day in Seuss’s style, Seuss’s works must stand the test of time on their own. I believe they do. Here are some of my favorites.
   The Sneetches and Other Stories In the title story, the bullies and their targets are all so taken with a machine that gives out stars and erases them, that by the end of the story, no one could tell the bad guys from the good guys. They all lived happily ever after, together.
   The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins As soon as Bartholomew removes his hat to show respect for the king, another hat appears. The king strikes a deal with Bartholomew. He gives Bartholomew 500 pieces of gold in exchange for the 500 hats, each one (after the 450th) more elegant than the one before. Fairness plays out for all.
   Horton Hatches the Egg In an unlikely turn of events, Horton, an elephant, sits (most gently) on Mayzie the Lazy Bird’s egg while she vacations in Florida. When the egg hatches, it is a most fetching combination of elephant and bird. Promises kept are rewarded.
   The Lorax In speaking for the trees, the Lorax exposes humanity’s over-dependence on Nature and the destruction caused by greed. A warning ahead of its time.
   If you want to see a list (annotated) of all Seuss’s works for kids, try https://www.best-books-for-kids.com/list-of-dr-seuss-books.html Scroll down a little and click on each title for more info.

Theodor Geisel aka Dr. Seuss was a man of his day. Using stereotypes was a common shorthand for those in the majority. And he used them. It was wrong and hurtful, but it’s part of our history, and his.
   At the beginning of WWII, Theodor Geisel contributed political cartoons to a liberal magazine. Since he was too old for the draft but wanted to serve, he made animated training films and drew propaganda posters for the Treasury Department. Most were not appropriate for children. Some of his books command an adult audience, too.
   Everything changes in this world of ours. Dr. Seuss taught us to take care of our earth, take care of each other, and to allow ourselves and our children to have fun.
His books will live on. American kids will continue to read.
   Thank you Dr. Seuss.
-—stay curious! (and read for fun)

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"Live life as the work of art you are."
Abraham Joshua Heschl (1907-1972)
Rabbi, Humanitarian, Peace Activist

A Mild Monday Morning in March

What’s a Gig?

Keeping My (Safe Physical) Distance

Making Census of the Numbers

So Long, Seuss!

I'm a children's writer and poet intent on observing the world and nurturing those I find in my small space .

Archives

"Live life as the work of art you are."Abraham Joshua Heschl (1907-1972)Rabbi, Humanitarian, Peace Activist​

A Mild Monday Morning in March

What’s a Gig?

Keeping My (Safe Physical) Distance

Making Census of the Numbers

So Long, Seuss!

I'm a children's writer and poet intent on observing the world and nurturing those I find in my small space .

Archives

"Live life as the work of art you are."
Abraham Joshua Heschl (1907-1972)
Rabbi, Humanitarian, Peace Activist