With this coronavirus thing going around, stay safe and intelligent, use social distancing, wash your hands often, refrain from touching your face, take vitamin D3 and natural vitamin supplements, and (like i’ve been suggesting for eons) stay local (in your own home and yard). Even after this crisis is over, refrain from long-distance traveling, long-distance vacations and excursions in heavily polluting jet planes (all of which are non-green and contribute to a sick planet).
I am not going to give you some “mindfulness techniques” to (supposedly) get you through this crisis with less fear. I myself am afraid (for my wife, myself, and for so-called others). Marla and I are both high-risk. (My recent cardio-stress-echo test, by the way, showed that my heart is in great shape… which was a relief to find out after having had that heart attack in October.)
Being fearful — at this time (with our inept, corrupt, science-denying government and rotten system) — is intelligent. The so-called U.S. government leader(s) — with $-signs in their eyes — are talking about businesses opening again soon, defying Public Health Experts. Bill Gates says we can’t restart the economy soon and simply “ignore that pile of bodies over in the corner.”
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A Poem i wrote the other day…
with-
out
a there
there isn’t
a here
and
with-
out
a here
there isn’t
a there
and
with-
out
a future
there isn’t
a past
and
with-
out
a past
there isn’t
a future
and with-
out
a with
there isn’t without
and we won’t just
be those things
that they
taught us
because they
are immersed
in illusion
and
are
it
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Two pertinent songs by Rush. Neil Peart, their excellent, top-notch drummer and lyric-writer, recently passed away.
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
Good news about your cardiac status.
Hi, Tom, great post, wishing you and every one around blessed safety, and the Lord will do the rest.
Yes! Thank you, Sue! Stay safe! 🙂
I’m delighted to hear about your heart health. As for the rest? Your words ring true, both poem and prose. All is well here, and I hope all continues to be good for you and Marla. Sending my best!
Thanks much, Linda! 🙂 We sure live in precarious times. Stay safe.
Glad to hear you are doing well. Your words are inspiring, your comments ring so true in this time when we need leadership.
I have not been familiar with RUSH, but did take note when hearing the accolades of Neil Peart upon his untimely passing. Watching that video floored me. I have never seen anything like the performance he gave, totally awesome. Thank you for the experience. M 🙂
Neil will be missed. He (whom they called “the Professor” 🙂 ) was considered to be the world’s best drummer, and his lyrical depth was not superficial. Stay safe and prudent!
Love your poem – a great read-aloud keeper!
And wonderful to hear your heart’s recovered.
We are collectively in a wake-up as well as a shut-down … opportunity for ample reflection (and poems!)
Ha! Yes! 🙂 Thanks much, Jazz. Nature is telling us something… and we better listen. Stay safe!
So glad you are doing well – like you I too am high risk – scary times – with a scarier govt. And of course, the ultimate wake up call… if we survive this there will be more pandemics ahead – Climatologists have been warning us and naturally we have not been listening – STOP TRASHING THIS PLANET OR WE WILL ALL END UP DEAD – how simple.
Yes, Sara, like i mentioned to Jazz, nature is trying to tell us something. We will, with our overpopulated, sick planet definitely have more serious pandemics in the future. In our rather clairvoyant family, when i was a kid, i had images of a very polluted planet and of deadly germs that would be attacking us. Stay safe and smart!
oh my goodness – you too -my fear of nature and my love for her turned me into a naturalist… some of us have been trying to educate for so very very long to no avail – maybe now???? You too stay safe.
Sara, i doubt that this will change humanity in enough positive ways significantly.
Welcome back…
Thank you, Francis. Stay safe and smart! 🙂
Good to see you Tom, and great news about the heart.
Stay safe and well.
Thanks, Peter! You stay safe and prudent too! 🙂
Good to see you Tom, and to hear your good news about the heart. Stay safe.
Thanks much, Leah! 🙂 Stay safe and well!
Good poem, with good points and challenging at the end. I really enjoyed the Rush concert, first saw them at our scuzzy little bar in my hometown in the 70’s. They were amazing even then. Neil Peart had a gong behind him and a good set of drums. I knew I was in for a treat when I saw that. Glad to hear of your recovery and send blessings to you and your wife for safety and wellness. I too am vulnerable due to lung issues. time to write, reflect and do art.
So cool that you enjoyed Rush and saw them in concert. We’ve seen them live too. Neil will be missed. His drumming and lyrical talents are beyond measure. Thanks, Jane. Stay safe and well! 🙂
Welcome back!
Keep safe.
Yes indeed! You stay safe and smart too! 🙂
Welcome back Tom – hope it is for good this time and not a blip like last time of a long-forgotten scheduled post. That’s great news about your heart and I hope you and Marla breeze through this health crisis with no crises of your own. The stats are grim and grow grimmer by the hour it seems. Take care of yourselves. P.S. – these snow crystals are beautiful.
Thanks much, Linda, and you stay safe and well too! I’m probably not going to come back to WordPress with near the volume or the frequency that i used to. I just don’t think that people take things seriously enough.
Yes, the stats are grim. This tenacious virus will likely be around for some time. I sure hope that they come up with some good medication/vaccines for it. Stay well and get outside with the critters now and then. I was outside yesterday. 🙂
Same to you and Marla – very scary times Tom. I heard that by reaching 82,000 cases today, we have surpassed China’s total number of cases (81,000+). Well, that’s grim news and we jumped 500+ cases in twenty-four hours, for the third day in a row. I am glad they have only instituted stay-at-home orders and not shelter-in-place and restricted parks thus far – they are encouraging going to parks and our Metroparks (13 of them) are giving free admission a few days during the week. I heard the Chicago mayor wants banning of parks … she was adamant that people need to stop gathering, so put an end to it. I will continue as long as I can – all the fun stuff happens in the Spring!
Stick with the squirrels and avoid the silly bipedal apes… i say.
Good to see you here and that you are doing well. 🙂
I love the ice crystal photo and poem.
I hope your and Marla keep safe.
All the best Scifi. 🙂
It’s a frightening virus and we are doing a lot to stay safe. Few people are wearing gloves or masks in our area and social distance means little to employees in stores (like Walmart). Keep safe Scifi, and thank you! 🙂
We’ve just started our 3 week Housebound Lockdown. Sigh.
Keep Safe too 🙂
Good to read your words of wisdom, Tom. I especially liked your poem in this post. It’s hard to try to be optimistic in these pessimistic times.
Thanks much, SB! 🙂 People have good reason to be fearful, especially with our inept government. Stay safe and use good sense when out.
Glad you’re back, Tom!!!
Thank you, Michael! 🙂 Like i said to Linda, above, i will not be coming back with the frequency that i used to. I hope you are staying well and safe. It’s a nasty bug and i don’t think that they are telling us a lot (intentionally).
Great post! 🙂 So glad you’re doing much better. Take care and be safe!
Thanks, Kym! 🙂 You stay safe too! It’s nuts with this bad bug thing; you couldn’t make this crap up.
That is a great and timely poem. I’m also in the high risk group. I love your photos of the ice. I say kind words to my cells so I’m sure they will do their jobs better. Water reacts the same way as does everything. Trying to stay positive in spite of the insanity going on with a numskull in charge.
Ha! Numskull is right! You couldn’t have a worse person to be the president at this time. No heart, no compassion, no real intelligence, no feeling. People who voted for this Putin and fossil fuel loving monster should be ashamed of themselves.
Stay safe and prudent!
Agreed.
I love how each word in the poem flowed into the next!
I am glad your heart is in good shape but know what you mean about mindfulness techniques to stave off fear; nothing seems to work right now but trying to live in the present. So stay safe and healthy!