Monday, October 5, 2020

More than life

Imagine - that man has insulted and denigrated just about everyone on earth. But when he himself was felled by the virus he mocked, and his opponents had fun with the irony of karma, they were accused of cruelty. Imagine, he got in a limo and was driven around so he could hear some cheers. No, don't imagine, we already know what he is. A few days ago, when he and his appalling cast-mates were all being struck down, I thought, Perhaps there is a god. But apparently he's getting out of hospital today and saying he's better than ever. So perhaps there isn't.

And the fact that we are thinking base things like that is thanks to him. We're all so much more vile than we were.

I'm going to bitch some more. There's a cancer in our society: cellphones wielded by parents. When my grandsons visit we go to playgrounds, and what I see are children playing and parents or caregivers on cellphones. Today, as pushed my boys on a swing, a blank-faced little boy in a stroller watched us as his mother, ignoring him, was absorbed in her cellphone. Last time Eli was over, I watched a father ignore his 4-year old daughter as she played; when she wandered off I kept an eye on her, in case. What are these children doing at home? We can guess. What will they grow up to be, when they get their entire world, including their parents, through a screen? 

Okay, rant over. Had a wonderful time with the boys here for a sleepover. This time, they came Sunday afternoon and I had them for the evening and next morning, just enough time for them to destroy the house and exhaust me, but not to the point that I was ready to scream. Could we have figured out how to preserve Glamma? Oh, they make me laugh. Eli likes to pour milk into his bowl of ice-cream, so I told him, "That's a milkshake - you know who likes milkshakes? Your grandpa," I said. "He loves milkshakes more than anything." 

Eli looked at me cooly. "More than life?" he asked.

2 comments:

  1. I totally agree with you about the cellphones and screens in general. For his 8th birthday, my godson received a tablet of his own. Of course I was against it. "Why not give him a book?" I said. Now he's completely addicted to it. Does Eli have his own tablet?

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    1. No, there's a family one that he gets when he's done chores or homework. So it's a treat. But they both beg for it. And let's face it, screens are a godsend for parents. I used to feel guilty letting my kids watch Sesame Street and other shows!

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