But with the end of the threat of snow (I am not even kidding, people!!!) and the abundance of possible sunshine, comes a lot of change for us here on the farm and for most folks who try to cram a year of family get togethers and gatherings and fun times into the 16 mostly nice weekends coming up, weekends filled with First Communions, graduations, weddings, baby showers, wedding showers, family reunions, family weekends at the beach or in the mountains or gosh... anywhere.
But maybe not this year.
Maybe not this season.
The recent scourge of a pandemic has changed our mental, emotional and physical landscapes. It's put a hard stop on getting together, having parties, meeting for lunch, even gathering for picnics because here in New York the state has tipped all picnic tables on end so that there's no place to sit.
Playgrounds have been roped off in many areas.
Kids have been distance learning and threats of a changed future seem like a chapter out of a futuristic novel but it's not a novel... it's today's reality.
There are no sports. No baseball, soccer, basketball, lacrosse. No MLB, NBA, PGA... and Nascar just held its first races of the season, allowing no fans.
But for all of this, there is a growing unrest among the people, a growing surge of re-taking control of our choices, our lives, our freedoms, and for you writers, these are the emotions that spur plots, that build characters. You are living in a story-rich moment... but it is several months long already, and that's why people are beginning to rise up to grab hold of the freedoms we hold dear... while mourning the tens of thousands whose lives have been lost to a new virus, an insidious illness that's been unleashed on the world, a world caught maybe in a state of complacence? And the virus became a wake-up call for so many, but also a launch pad for story ideas at every level.
In a stirring quote to the Second Continental Congress as they debated waging war against Great Britain to create the country we now know as the United States of America, Ben Franklin said: "Those who would give up essential freedom for temporary safety deserve neither freedom nor safety."
This is an important time in history, we're living in the pages of a history book, and no one knows the ending or even the next chapter, but we've all heard the life-coach advisory: Anything you do for 30 days becomes a habit.
And that's the warning knell for freedom lovers, because the erosion of freedoms rarely comes like a swift hammer, but more as a creekside erosion.
Here at the farm we're working hard to create new things, to get our fall crops planted and I'm busily writing new stories and taking care of business... with a mask in public! Because no one wants to make other people sick or get sick themselves, but I'm blessed to live in the country, surrounded by wide open spaces and the ability to re-design how we do our fall displays to spread folks out because none of us know what autumn will bring, but I promise you one thing:
On our farm it will bring pumpkins and gourds and sunflowers and mums and a couple of acres of beautiful things produced by hard-working hands, produced with love and affection for our customers, our neighbors and our community and our country.
A country that should never take freedom for granted, but on this week, the day after Memorial Day, to realize that we are part of the greatest country in the world, and are so blessed to be here.
May God continue to bless America.
It's difficult to write a piece like yours that does not crash land on one side of the political divide or the other, but I believe you have done it. Thank you for reminding us of our history as a nation, our love for freedom, and a warning regarding inertia.
ReplyDeleteAs to this writing-rich environment, my next series will cover 2018-2022. A few weeks ago, I realized I had better start taking notes on the daily events so I can be detail-accurate when I get to the 2020 story!
Linda, you are 100% correct... It's either going to offend or defend and I tried to hug not a middle ground because neither side is wrong... but a defensible ground because both sides are right.... and yet hard choices have to be made.
DeleteAnd I know on one of my contracts we're referring to the pandemic and the other one is being written without a mention and again, both are okay... because we don't want this virus steering every conversation, right?
Thanks for stopping by today!
Wonderful post, Ruthy. The freedoms we enjoy came at a steep price. The lives of those who fought for them. Definitely something to think about.
ReplyDeleteI always come back to the courage of our forefathers and mothers, that stood their ground to win and defend liberty. They amaze me because they stood tall, even when they hated that as their only option. And when you study how those learned men of the 18th century fought and argued over freedom... I think what if the other side prevailed????
DeleteWho would we be now? What would we be?
A lot weighs on our daily decisions and even more on these seasonal ones.
May God bless us, everyone.
I’m similar in mindset and situation. I live on a ranch surrounded by horses, cattle, and apple orchards. I’m content at home writing and keeping company with my horses, sheep, goats, and misc. other critters.
ReplyDeleteBut I’m feeling sad for those stuck in apartments or in the middle of a city.
Dalyn, I was thinking this same thing on my way home with a truckload of planting medium for 1600 chrysanthemums.... and that I am blessed with an income and land and air, but all the folks I know in NYC and Philly, well, it's different. Some have moved away from the city, much like folks did in 1918. Others are sticking it out because they don't have the latitude or the funds to disappear for 3 months or 6 months... it's a tough situation, but also maybe a learning curve that overcrowding cities is a really bad human choice. Just like overcrowding a barn.... Too much proximity allows too many germs to travel and run rampant. Nature teaches us so much if only we choose to listen.
DeleteThank you for the post, Ruthy!
ReplyDeleteI'm ready...more than ready...for this panic about the virus to be over.
I believe our precautions have been justified in many cases, but it's time to start putting that behind us. One source of information I check regularly is the CDC's updates on deaths by week. (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/index.htm) From their statistics, it's clear that the virus spiked in April - it was bad in some places - but the numbers have started going down.
We're on the end of the curve. We'll never know whether some of the more drastic measures some areas have taken did anything to flatten that curve (you can't prove that something didn't happen,) but it's time to get back to living.
So glad you're getting the farm up and running for the season! Yay for flowers, pumpkins, donkeys, and kids!
I agree.... and I have to be careful that my on the farm perspective that my thoughts aren't jaded by that, because I know there are places in dire straits.... and NYC especially, but then I see how our governor has been and it just makes me sad.... For the people, not the people in power. And I can't imagine all the folks who've lost parents in this.... but the other thing is that if I died tomorrow, I've had a great life, amazing opportunities, and I took advantage of each one.
DeleteThe rest is in God's amazing hands.
So true, Ruthy. We need to guard our freedoms and never let them be taken over by apathy or a virus. I'm glad our governor opened GA as soon as he and the great public health folks we have in the state studied the stats and realized we had peaked. People need to get back to work and put their lives in order again. People also need to make their own personal decisions about their health and whether to hunker down, as the medically fragile are still doing, or venture into the world. Personal freedom! That's so important and so American! God bless the USA!
ReplyDeleteChurch services have returned to GA, which makes me very happy!
I love that you have church services again! And my son in Dallas is so much happier that they can get out and do things.... and yes, people fought and died for those freedoms, they're never anything to be handled lightly, right? And thank you to your beautiful military family for being part of that battalion! Yay you!
DeleteI don't feel like we are losing our freedoms because of the measures taken to control the virus. If we hadn't, I believe it would have been far worse. I think it is so hard to know where to let up and when. So many outbreaks have occurred from church gatherings, funerals, birthday parties, etc. that I worry about going back to those situations. I do believe the peak has occurred in most places. Here in Nebraska it does seem to be getting better, yet cases are spiking in Omaha still. I feel like some people don't worry at all and some people are way overreacting with worry. It is hard to find the middle ground. I am slowly going back into going places with my mask, but it will be awhile before I feel comfortable going to church, the gym, eating in at restaurants, etc. I am also looking forward to being able to get together with family again.
ReplyDeleteI agree about living in wide open spaces as opposed to cities. I do feel bad for those who live in the cities so close to people all the time. I don't live in the country, but my town is small enough to have plenty of wide open spaces. I can sit in my yard or take a walk through my neighborhood without any problem. It will be interesting to see how things progress as we go through the summer.
Sandy, the beauty of freedom is that you have the option to not do any of those things.... when we're older, our options are broader, but I look at all of these young families who now have no income, that's a huge concern because I'm watching small businesses fail here, big businesses laying off, and a wave of sadness from the fall-out. :( On my side of the coin, it's no big deal. Dave's retired, he has his income coming in, and I'm writing but if I let that and only that make my decisions, then I'm ignoring the needs of millions.
DeleteAnd I also think opinions vary based on our personal "normal", too... in some states, it was a hiccup.... in others it's been Norovirus on steroids and rights have been taken away, so when I consider it, I look at the whole country, 50 states, each handling it the way they think best and bearing the brunt of wicked criticism if they make a move... and yet my state has untold numbers of deaths and there's very little criticism....
We stayed home all through March and April and the beginning of May... but I have a wonderful business to run and I'm going to have so much fun doing it.
And you're right, some shrug it off... and some embrace it like a death sentence... We did what was expected and needed to flatten the curve and now it's time to work.
The blessing is that in America, our freedom is guaranteed so we can make our own choices. We flattened the curve... now we need to flatten the fear.
Great post Ruthy. We in Arizona have been easing off the restrictions in stages so hopefully we can avoid a resurge of cases. The verse from Isaiah is one of my favorite. And already I have seen some positive changes as God promises to make good out of every situation.
ReplyDeleteSandra! I miss you so much! And I've been watching you guys lift restrictions.... I think now we've had time to prepare, we have seen the virus, we know more... and if folks made it through TB, polio, smallpox and the like, we'll make it through this. So good to see you!
DeleteRuthy, Thank you for your post. I always love reading your perspective. Right now, I'm reading a biography of Benjamin Franklin! I've never read a biography of him before.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ruthy, for such a fun-filled, hope-filled post! Other than the end of snow. I love snow. I didn't get hardly any snow this year. Looking forward to winter! lol.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Ruthy. :)
ReplyDelete