Chandler, Arizona
Talking with other retired people is giving me a new perspective on the issue of work/life balance in the post-pandemic era.
Like many other (men) of my vintage, I made a habit of going years at a time without using any of my “sick days” or vacation time during my working years. I thought I was being smart by saving it up for later use but in fact I was cheating myself while not doing my employers any good either.
Hopefully people like me learned a lesson or two from the pandemic. The past two flu seasons have seen very low rates of illness and death, no doubt because of the masking and social distance measures we had to take for Covid. Accordingly, thousands of people are still with us who otherwise would have perished from the flu.
Countless times over my half-century career, I went to work when I had cold or flu symptoms, thinking how tough I was or least how smart I was by not wasting my sick time allotment.
False on both counts.
A friend who is a retired minister tells a story that brings all of my assumptions from then into sharper focus. One time years ago, he had a bad cold when he learned that an aged parishioner was ill and he decided he should pay her a visit.
He bundled up against the weather, all the time congratulating himself for being such a good servant of God and for taking yet another selfless action in his lifetime of service. But when he got to the woman’s house, she didn’t looked at all pleased to see him.
“Let me get this straight, young man,” she said. (He was maybe 60 at the time.) “You thought it was a good idea to visit a 101-year-old woman when you were sick yourself, am I right?”
My friend nodded sheepishly while she paused. Then she continued.
“You know, Father, people ask me all the time how I have been able to live this long. Well, it’s simple — by not letting people like you in the house when you’re carrying germs. So kindly go on home and pray I’ll still be here next time you come around.”
He did and she was.
Amen.
Today’s News (60):
Biden heads to high-stakes NATO summit amid showdown with Putin over Ukraine (ABC)
Four weeks into a war that has driven a quarter of Ukraine's 44 million people from their homes, Russia has failed to capture a single major Ukrainian city, while Western sanctions have ostracized it from the world economy.(Reuters)
Putin Adviser Chubais Quits Over Ukraine War, Leaves Russia (Bloomberg)
Ukrainians Try to Push Back Russian Forces Pummeling Their Cities (NYT)
Nato to boost forces in eastern Europe as Ukraine war rages (BBC)
Ukrainians have pushed Russian forces back to the east of Kyiv, US official says (CNN)
US finds Russian troops have committed war crimes in Ukraine (AP)
Biden, Allies Aim to Project United Front Against Russia at NATO Meeting (WSJ)
Russia's combat power in Ukraine has declined below 90 percent of its pre-invasion levels for the first time since its attack began, a senior U.S. defense official said, suggesting heavy losses of weaponry and growing casualties. (Reuters)
What the city of Mariupol means for Ukraine — and for Russia's military campaign (NPR)
Kremlin press secretary Dmity Peskov parroted talking points and refused to rule out nuking Ukraine in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour. President Vladimir Putin “intends to make the world listen to and understand our concerns” about the perceived “anti-Russia” threat from the West, said Peskov. [HuffPost]
Ukrainian leaders accused Russia of seizing 15 rescue workers and drivers from a humanitarian convoy trying to get desperately needed food and other supplies into the bloodied port city of Mariupol. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy estimated that 100,000 civilians remained in Mariupol, scene of some of the war’s worst devastation. [AP]
Russia condemned what it called a "reckless" Polish proposal to send international peacekeepers into Ukraine and warned that it could lead to a direct clash between Russian and NATO forces. We look at how NATO's bi-annual Arctic drill is taking on a new significance. (Reuters)
Ukrainian President Asked U.S. Not to Sanction Abramovich )WSJ)
AP-NORC poll: More support for Ukraine, concern about Russia (AP)
How one of Ukraine's top young golfers escaped the war (CNN)
Russia’s Oil-and-Gas Industry Is Starting to Feel the Bite of Sanctions (WSJ)
How Ukraine’s Outgunned Air Force Is Fighting Back Against Russian Jets (NYT)
Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to attend the next G20 summit in Indonesia later this year and received valuable backing from Beijing in a pushback to suggestions by some members that Russia could be barred from the group. (Reuters)
Ukraine says it has retaken key town outside Kyiv as defenses hold against Russian onslaught (WP)
How Russia's invasion of Ukraine rocked commodity markets (DW)
Kremlin: no one thought Ukraine operation would take just a couple of days -Tass (Reuters)
Historic synagogue in Kyiv has spent $2 million evacuating Ukrainians from war’s hot spots (WP)
VIDEO: Biden to Press Allies for Stronger Sanctions Against Russia (NYT)
As many as 15,000 Russian troops have been killed since the invasion of Ukraine began, NATO says (USA Today)
As Russia Stalls in Ukraine, Dissent Brews Over Putin’s Leadership (NYT)
A sanctioned Russian oligarch's superyacht hurriedly left port in Montenegro without refueling shortly before a wave of EU sanctions were announced - report (Yahoo)
Amid Russia’s new crackdowns, small signs of defiance emerge (AP)
As war rages in Ukraine, Nestle suspends sales of KitKat and Nesquik in Russia (CBS)
UN: Over 3.6 million people have fled Ukraine (NHK)
Twitter sleuths emerge as Ukraine war intelligence analysts (WP)
Ukraine War and Pandemic Force Nations to Retreat From Globalization (NYT)
Biden tells governors to 'take urgent action' to protect infrastructure from Russian hackers (Politico)
A new fund directs its support to Ukraine’s long-term needs (AP)
A Month of War Has Transformed Ukraine (Atlantic)
Capitol riot suspect who fled to Belarus granted asylum, state media says (WP)
In a reversal, the Taliban bars Afghan girls from attending school beyond 6th grade (NPR)
Taliban Blocks Secondary Education for Girls in Last-Minute Reversal — So Much For Progress (Daily Beast)
The Taliban backtracked on their announcement that high schools would open for girls, saying they would remain closed until a plan was drawn up in accordance with Islamic law for them to reopen. (Reuters)
Silence replaces old folk tunes in historic quarter of Kabul (AP)
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson faced hours of grilling from the nearly two dozen senators on the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. She projected a measured, thoughtful demeanor, even as Republicans tried to find a line of attack that would stick. “Do you agree … that babies are racist?” asked Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), referring to a children's book about racism. The hearing continues today. [HuffPost]
What GOP senators seem to mind most about Ketanji Brown Jackson is what I most admire (KC Star)
Judging a Judge on Race and Crime, G.O.P. Plays to Base and Fringe (NYT)
Jackson defends her record against Republican criticism (WP)
Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) said that he believes interracial marriage should not be legal nationwide and that individual states should decide whether to allow it. Braun later walked back his comments, claiming he misunderstood the question. Braun isn't on the judiciary committee, but he will get to vote on whether to confirm Jackson as a Supreme Court justice. Jackson herself is in an interracial marriage. [HuffPost]
Biden's public approval rating fell to a new low of 40% this week, a clear warning sign for his Democratic Party as it seeks to retain control of Congress in the November 8 election, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll. (Reuters)
Scientists worry virus variant may push up COVID cases in US (AP)
About one-in-three COVID-19 cases in the United States are now caused by the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant of the coronavirus, according to government data that also showed overall infections still declining from January's record highs. (Reuters)
As BA.2 spreads, Biden administration officials call on Congress to pass Covid-19 funding (Politico)
VIDEO: New York City to End Mask Mandate for Preschool Children (NYT)
Astronomers see massive debris cloud in space after 2 objects collide (CNN)
Climate change is causing Michigan dogsledders to shift gears from snow to dry land (WP)
Largest Meat-Eating Dino Was a True Swimmer and Had the Dense Bones to Prove It (Gizmodo)
Great White Sharks May Befriend Each Other in Hopes of Getting a Larger Meal, Research Finds (People)
The Threat to Free Speech, Beyond ‘Cancel Culture’ (Atlantic)
Tree rings from centuries past may help reveal a warming planet’s future (WP)
How 'magic mushrooms' could follow in the footsteps of cannabis (Politico)
Whimsical NASA Launches Single Balloon Into Outer Space (The Onion)
Lyrics
“Stayin’ Alive”
By Bee Gees
Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk
I'm a woman's man, no time to talk
Music loud and women warm, I've been kicked around
Since I was born
And now it's alright, it's okay
And you may look the other way
We can try to understand
The New York Times' effect on man
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive
Well now, I get low and I get high
And if I can't get either, I really try
Got the wings of Heaven on my shoes
I'm a dancin' man and I just can't lose
You know it's alright, it's okay
I'll live to see another day
We can try to understand
The New York Times' effect on man
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive (ohh)
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me
Somebody help me, yeah
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me, yeah
I'm stayin' alive
Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk
I'm a woman's man, no time to talk
Music loud and women warm
I've been kicked around since I was born
And now it's all right, it's okay
And you may look the other way
We can try to understand
The New York Times' effect on man
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me
Somebody help me, yeah
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me, yeah
I'm stayin' alive
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me
Somebody help me, yeah (ah, ah, ah)
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me, yeah
I'm stayin' alive
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me
Somebody help me, yeah (ah, ah, ah, ay)
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me, yeah
I'm stayin' alive
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me
Somebody help me, yeah (ohh)
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me, yeah
I'm stayin' alive
No comments:
Post a Comment