Daily Blues & Views

A man lives in the parking lot.  Nobody knows how he first got there because the chain-link fence that surrounds the small lot was there first.  But he's there, inside his home of blue tarp.  A gate that would open the parking lot to cars exists,  if that is what the owner wanted.  He must not.  Does he even know somebody is living there? Around my hometown, there are inner tent cities in the inner-city.  The people huddle in all manner of camping tents that are often surrounded by campfires, piles of trash, bicycles, grocery carts, and abandoned furniture.  But the parking lot near my home has only one occupant.   I know someone is in there because I heard his voice once. Either he was talking on a phone or he had a visitor because he was ranting to someone about "the money."  But that is the only context I have for his conversation.  I did not stay to listen.   If anybody minds that he lives in the parking lot, they...

 Even though it seems like half the country is in denial, we are in the middle of a pandemic that shows no signs of slowing up. In fact, if the statistics of the past week are any indication, the predicted "long dark winter" expected by many health professionals is at our doorstep.  Historically, there will be many attempts to document the social history of this time.  That is, how are people faring in their day to day lives?  What kinds of changes have we adapted to, what do we now do and forget to do now that going outside means wearing a mask or not being able to use cash, or the diminished hours that many retail stores and restaurants have adopted? Will the President and administration that refuses to take responsibility be elected to a second term?  Despite what the polls say, I think it's still possible that the Denier in Chief, with all his whining and voter suppression tactics, could still pull this election out of the jaws of defeat.  It will take ...

 My downsizing continues.  The new target is the release of some books I've been carrying around for decades.  Much of this cache comes from my college years in the late 1960s.  What better place to find a new home for some of this material than a small independent bookshop with the appropriate name of Revolution Books.  Actually, even though they have a good collection of political books and ephemera, some vinyl records, and an abundance of jigsaw puzzles, the store features a selective and eclectic selection of mostly used books.   As you might surmise, this little store is an anomaly.  But it seems to be eeking out survival during this dark economic time.  The atmosphere of the store is welcoming, and the young couple that owns it are obviously living their dream.   So I march in with 7 books in a paper grocery bag.  The woman is there; she gets excited about my books and quickly calls her husband.  He instructs her to ...

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened                                                     -Dr. Seuss  I know I need to let go.  I've been trying for about 5 years now.  But I hold them in my hands, look at the parts, the old notes, the well-preserved folders...and then I just put them back until the urge hits again.  That's usually on a rainy day or a few months down the road.   My file cabinet has slimmed down considerably, but I just can't seem to throw away everything even though I know that I'll never use these books or curriculum materials again.  I thought that a beginning teacher would want them.  But they don't even have classrooms anymore.  Nobody knows when onsite classes will return or what teaching will look like if and when this pandemic has passed.   So the task remains....