I read a tweet that called Trump’s rally in Tulsa the beginning of his Farewell Tour. Oh let it be so.
I was thinking about my last post, and I did want to add: I am fine with all the plans changing…I recognize the privilege that Louie and I have, to be able to work quite successfully from home (if you ignore the fact that I am also a performer, and miss that). But yet, I can be understanding and still be sad for what might have been, and what might be or might not be. I can wish the pandemic wasn’t going on while being grateful that no one in my close circle has gotten sick.
It’s hard to know what to do. And that’s okay, I’m okay with the worries. I don’t need to be one of those white people who has all the answers who is on facebook lecturing others (while perhaps, not wanting to live in a diverse neighborhood “because of the schools”)—in fact I definitely don’t want to be that person. I also don’t want to be jumping down other people’s throats for being late to the party, yet I’m also not going to rallies or protests because I am still trying to stay away from large groups of people. So I’m thinking, I’m assigning my students pieces written by Black composers (but it’s been ragtime and jazz stuff, which I worry isn’t enough), I’m reading a variety of books (but are they the right ones?), and I’m donating a bit of money here and there (but is it enough and since I mention it here is that patting myself on the back?), and I’m continuing to nag my Senators and other elected officials as I have been for a few years now. But I’m writing this silly blog, and who does that help besides me?
I had a short teaching week this past week and my students were all pretty delightful. I think being out of school has been great for them mentally…most of them seemed to really hate online learning. I don’t know what the fall will bring though, and I think that anybody who claims to is lying. Remember February, when all of this would have been incomprehensible? And then March happened, and then on March 11 everything changed (at least that was the date everything started getting canceled for us in St Louis). So to think that in JUNE we know what August will look like is absolutely ridiculous to me. I understand trying to prepare and plan of course, and there’s nothing I love more than preparing and planning.
Anyway, just a lot of random thoughts, as you might expect if you are a long time reader of the blog! Let me leave you during this crazy time with some cat pictures. Throughout all the worries and troubles, isn’t it great to have pets?
The cat trees are in a sort of “extra” or “Junk” room. My house has a kind of weird setup (I’m sure I’ve mentioned the kitchen is in the basement, for instance) and this room is a room I walk through all the time en route somewhere else but it’s really not good for much because it’s sort of small, and well, has a lot of junk in it. I’ve thought about different ideas for it, but honestly, cat trees, bookshelves, file cabinets and such are pretty good ones. I would still love to have slightly less junk but some of the stuff I wished I’d gotten rid of has come in handy over the past few months, whether actually or mentally.
Anyway, I’d better go. Time to go outside for awhile and enjoy that whole fresh air thing…later tonight we are doing a socially distanced gathering with another couple. It’s always funny: we tend to eat quite late, usually between 8 and 9 pm but hardly anybody else does, so “normal” dinner times always really seem to cut into the day! Even in the pandemic times Louie and I are trying to pack too much into the day. (We also just see dinner often as the last thing of the day, dinner, maybe a little TV or a walk, and then bedtime. I think other people have dinner, more activities, snack, etc.)