We are living in trying times. Pandemics, elections, racial tensions, economic collapse, threats to the health and diversity of our planet. We are exposed to a non-stop barrage of news, and the bad news trends faster than the good news. If you are not addicted to the news, and caught up in the the “us vs. them” aspect of it all, you might be one of the many that tries to avoid the news altogether. On the eve of a historic event, there is nothing I want to do less than tune in to the news. I cannot escape the divide of opinions, even within my own home. I have done what I can, as I try to do every day. I try to invoke a positive attitude, both inwardly and outwardly. I clutch to my practice of stubborn cheerfulness, and hold it tight, like a flotation device. But I keep catching myself holding my breath. I know I am not alone in feeling like I am treading water, metaphorically speaking. One of the few good things about being fat is you float like a cork, so I am in no danger of drowning, or so I think. My dreams, however, would beg to differ…
