(NASA)
One recent night, I had dinner with two of my granddaughters, aged 8 and 11. There were just the three of us; everyone else was out for the evening. Since it is getting close to the Christmas season, I told them about what it was like this time of year when and where I grew up.
That was Michigan so there was lots of snow. They were interested in hearing about “snow days,” you know, the day we got to stay home from school due to snowstorms.
I explained that it actually snowed quite often so it took a pretty extraordinary snowstorm to cause us to miss school.
They thought about that and our conversation turned to an extraordinary weather day we had out here — the day the sky turned orange from wildfire smoke back in September 2020. They were 6 and 9 at the time and they remember it well.
So do I. Always attentive to an educational opportunity, I told them two words describe that day for me — dystopian and apocalypse. They nodded as I explained my understanding of the definitions of those words.
That somehow led to them talking about the difference between dreams and dreamlike moments. “I remember that day,” said the 11-year-old. The blinds were shut but there was a slit between the blinds and it was orange. And I thought, ‘that’s weird, why is it orange?’ So I figured it was a dream. But when I got up, it wasn’t a dream.”
Then the 8-year-old spoke up. “In a dream I had that day I couldn’t blink my eyes. But when I woke up, I could blink. But when I did, the sky was still orange and that was weird. Then the next day was normal.”
We all agreed you can’t tell whether it’s a dream or not while you are still asleep but you definitely can tell once you’re awake. And that day, we agreed, was definitely not a dream.
LINKS:
Top House Intel Republican condemns Trump’s calls to suspend Constitution over 2020 election (The Hill)
Senate campaign hits fever pitch in final days of Georgia runoff (WP)
Supreme Court weighs ‘most important case’ on democracy (AP)
Defaults Loom as Poor Countries Face an Economic Storm (NYT)
Why was paid sick leave such a sticking point in rail labor talks — and why didn’t workers get it? (WP)
Iran to disband morality police amid ongoing protests, says attorney general (BBC)
Iran Abolishes Morality Police, Considers Changing Hijab Laws, Official Says (WSJ)
Ethiopian guards massacred scores of Tigrayan prisoners, witnesses say (WP)
Ukraine Calls for Evacuations From a Russian-Controlled Area, Signaling a New Offensive (NYT)
‘Our mission is crucial’: meet the warrior librarians of Ukraine (Guardian)
Russia will not export oil subject to Western price cap, deputy prime minister says (Reuters)
Major cities in China ease COVID-19 restrictions after protests (Al Jazeera)
Japan's Disney store sells merchandise of Winnie the Pooh supporting China's protests (NPR)
The Texas Group Waging a National Crusade Against Climate Action (NYT)
The shadow race is on to succeed Feinstein (Politico)
Surging Twitter antisemitism unites fringe and encourages violence, officials say (WP)
The polar dinosaurs revealing ancient secrets (BBC)
It’s All That Young Job Seekers Are Asking For: Stability (NYT)
College Football Playoff will feature Georgia vs. Ohio State and Michigan vs. TCU (CNN)
Michigan wins Big Ten title, has 'bigger plans' in College Football Playoff (ESPN)
SF Giants rumors: Aaron Judge removes "New York" from his Instagram bio (SI)
The Day the San Francisco Sky Turned Orange — On September 9, 2020, a convergence of wildfire smoke and fog cast an eerie tint over the Bay Area. (New Yorker)
Car Ride Devoted To Explaining What Things Will Be Different About Grandma This Visit (The Onion)
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