Many years ago, I gathered seaglass from beaches around the Bay Area and got pretty good at recognizing the best tides for finding it.
One section of Ocean Beach just south of San Francisco yielded a steady harvest of the blue, green, brown and white gems, and there was another nice spot on one edge of Angel Island.
What I loved about seaglass was that it had been smoothed and polished by the waves, sand, sun — transformed into jewels from what had once been simple trash.
You could say that that is the way of all garbage, indeed of all life. After all, the sum total of all of our ancestors, all other organic life forms, and “civilization” is a few inches of compacted topsoil clinging to a hard rock of a planet hurtling and twisting its way through space.
Destination unknown.
We’re all on the trip together, despite our various shapes, colors, orientations and other distinctions. As much as we see ourselves as individuals, we also are part of a much bigger unit. Our rough places will get smoothed over by time, whether we like that or not.
And much like seaglass, what’s left of each individual will have its own integrity, its own unique ability to reflect the sun when you hold it up to the light.
That could have added up to something nice.
But for now, the pandemic has helped to shatter us into jagged shards of glass, all too good at cutting each other rather than coming together. We’ve broken into tribes of one; even families have shattered. We are like a thousand rough pieces right now than any kind of beautiful whole.
Acts of random cruelty outnumber acts of kindness. Extremes dominate. Hate is on the loose. Killers are on the road. Isolation rules. Collectivity is disparaged. There is no common square to be found, only acres and acres of silence.
As a result, there can be no beautiful whole.
Isn’t that a pity?
MONDAY’S HEADLINES:
How to Care Less About Work — As we peer around the corner of the pandemic, let’s talk about what we want to do—and not do—with the rest of our lives. (Atlantic)
Voting Battles of 2022 Take Shape as G.O.P. Crafts New Election Bills — Republicans plan to carry their push to reshape the nation’s electoral system into next year, with Democrats vowing to oppose them but holding few options in G.O.P.-led states. (NYT)
Pro-Trump news site targets election workers, inspiring wave of menace (Reuters)
As Stacey Abrams enters governor’s race, Georgia becomes a key 2022 battleground (WP)
Trump-backed former Sen. David Perdue will announce primary bid against Georgia governor this week (Politico)
Josh Hawley and the Republican Obsession With Manliness — The Missouri senator is tapping into something real — a widespread, politically potent anxiety about young men that is already helping the right. (NYT)
Bob Dole, longtime Senate leader and 1996 GOP presidential nominee, dies at 98 (Politico)
Bob Dole Saw Every Stage of the GOP — From World War II to the election of Donald Trump, Bob Dole played a part in countless moments of American history. (Atlantic)
Both sides planning for new state-by-state abortion fight (AP)
Fearing a Repeat of Jan. 6, Congress Eyes Changes to Electoral Count Law
— Members of the special House committee investigating the Capitol riot are among those arguing for an overhaul of a more than century-old statute enacted to address disputed elections. (NYT)
Pope calls migrant crisis 'shipwreck of civilization' (Reuters)
A decades-old killing may have been solved with new forensic tech and DNA from a conch shell (WP)
There is an environmental impact each time you hit 'buy now'. Here's an alternative (NPR)
Pacific Ocean garbage patch is immense plastic habitat (BBC)
‘Wall of secrecy’ in Pfizer contracts as company accused of profiteering (Guardian)
The Variant Hunters: Inside South Africa’s Effort to Stanch Dangerous Mutations — Scientists in a cutting-edge laboratory do part of the work. Local health workers on foot do the rest. (NYT)
Data on Omicron’s severity is ‘encouraging’, says US health chief (Financial Times)
How scary is omicron? Scientists are racing to find answers. (WP)
UK reports 43,992 cases and 54 deaths; protests in Brussels turn violent(Guardian)
Pro-Trump counties now have far higher COVID death rates. Misinformation is to blame (NPR)
Western countries express concern over Afghan reprisals, Taliban reject accusations (Reuters)
From Serbia, Afghan boxers seek refuge, careers in West (AP)
Afghanistan: Taliban warned against targeting former security forces (BBC)
Facing Economic Collapse, Afghanistan Is Gripped by Starvation— An estimated 22.8 million people — more than half the country’s population — are expected to face potentially life-threatening food insecurity this winter. Many are already on the brink of catastrophe. (NYT)
U.S. Space Force general warns of China's growing military space potential(Politico)
French right hopes for reinvigoration with choice of Pécresse (Financial Times)
Baseball’s Lockout Begins With ‘The Case of the Vanishing Players’ (WSJ)
CNN Fires Chris Cuomo Amid Inquiry Into His Efforts to Aid His Brother
— The network said it had “terminated him, effective immediately,” a move that came days after a lawyer for a former colleague accused the host of sexual misconduct.
Plankton May Have Escaped ‘Survival of the Fittest’ — Scientists have a new theory about why the ocean has so many types of plankton. (Atlantic)
MONDAY’s LYRICS:
“Isn't It a Pity”
Isn't it a pity now isn't it a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pitySome things take so long but how do I explain
When not too many people
Can see we're all the same
And because of all their tears
Their eyes can't hope to see
The beauty that surrounds them
Isn't it a pityIsn't it a pity isn't it a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity
No comments:
Post a Comment