Dispatches from Arm's Length, Part 21

Around the time the school year ended in late May, I had a bad cold. I tested twice for COVID, both times negative. Even though I recovered, I noticed a very slight, on and off tickle in my throat, and it took awhile to subside. I've also been more sluggish than usual, though I attribute that to inconsistent sleeping habits. There was also a rash of cases in my improv ensemble, though that was after Independence Day. Our group ranges in age from 27 to 62, and the older members took longer to recover than the young'ens.

I guess the experts were right-- at some point, all Americans will get COVID. Whether it becomes a seasonal occurrence like the flu, I'm not as sure about. My protection has been wavering; I'm growing even more inconsistent about mask use. This morning I drove to meet someone for brunch, and in transit I realized I left my mask at home. I ordered new masks to replace a homemade one that was gradually falling apart; they allegedly arrived in late June, but never arrived. I'm blaming my erratic local postal service, not the eBay seller. 

At some point I'll get my second booster, I just don't know when. As I have for 2 1/2 years now, I'll keep sleeping with one eye open. 

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A Season of Bloodshed

If the USA in 2022 is a Chuck E. Cheese Whack-A-Mole machine of crises, then gun control is the latest plastic rodent to be hit with a cushioned mallet. A bipartisan bill has been signed but isn't in effect just yet. Regardless, this is already shaping up to be one of the bloodiest summers in recent memory, with mass shootings in Buffalo, NY, Uvalde, TX, and most recently Highland Park, IL. Those are just the most notable shootings; there has been a smattering of massacres all across the continental US.

I said this several years ago, and my stance hasn't wavered much: if you keep a .45 in the house, fine. You own a hunting rifle or two? Cool. If you own an AR-15 assault rifle... why? I'm personally not interested in guns, but I respect the constitutional right to own one. At the same time, there is a time and place for military grade weaponry, and that's if you're in the military, in the heat of combat. The rest is just paranoia and politics. That the Highland Park shooting happened at an Independence Day parade, the most patriotic of holidays, a day to celebrate democracy and freedom, is cognitive dissonance. 

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