Quit Putting Your Life on Hold

I don't know if you've noticed a pattern here, but it's been going on long enough that it's time to point it out.

In the state where I live, where the governor took over emergency powers some 90 weeks ago and has been running the Union of Social-Mediasized Citizens' Republic to his satisfaction without any interference from legislators, or more importantly, ordinary people, we're constantly told to wait. It started with, "Two weeks to flatten the curve!" and progressed to, "Two more weeks to flatten the curve!" then, "A few months to get a hold on this deadly threat," to "More months to completely obliterate 'cases,'" to, "Everybody needs to do whatever I say however I say it because I'm tremendously important and I believe in SCIENCE and I trust it and you should too and the best way to do that is Follow My Orders!"

Well, perhaps he didn't say it precisely like that, but the tone is spot on.

The essential thing, though, is this: we are to put our lives on hold. Indefinitely. Remember, "No Christmas!" last year? That wasn't so bad; why not give it another skip this year? And birthdays -- they're not that essential, really. Neither is your job, essential that is. Come to think of it, neither are friends, family, human interaction -- guys, it's just too dangerous. Better to stay inside; lower the shades; dim the lights to save electricity, because there's plenty of light coming from the TV screen. And that's what we need to be doing: watching TV. Staying up on the "news." Scrolling through our phones. Listening to the authorities. Following the advice of the experts. And not, ever, ever, asking questions.

And waiting. Inside, in the dark. Until they tell us it's safe to come outside again. Masked, of course, because it's never really safe.

That's not living. That's not even surviving. That's allowing not only our bodies, but our minds to be locked up in a prison of fear.

I don't know if you own a boat. I don't, but that doesn't stop me from painting them. And it doesn't stop me from floating my boat, in the water, as I sail through the journey of life as a free thinking, free living person who has family to love (and hold, and hug), paintings to create, and dreams to fulfill.