BRAYS OF OUR LIVES

What if there was a massive public health threat with big implications for all of humanity, and almost everyone took it seriously? What if local, state, and (most) federal governments bent over backwards to quickly ramp up production of the technology needed to solve the problem while media focused on sharing the skills and habits needed to solve the problem? What if people listened to the scientists and followed their advice, even if it meant dramatic changes in activity, lifestyle, and convenience? What if employers, corporations, banks, and credit unions all agreed they would do everything they could to support individuals and families through the experience? What if the dangerous behaviors that were contributing to the problem suddenly stopped or slowed all across the planet? What if people collectively navigated the economic shift and reorganization that would result from these healthy changes in behavior, looking after one another and remembering to ask questions like, "how ...

Last time I sat down to blog, I created a draft post entitled "New Depths of Agony." That was almost a year ago, and although the post had no content I think I can recall what I'd been meaning to say—my back was out, and I had never before (and have never since) experienced such pain. WOW. Luckily, that is but a distant memory today. I'm grateful for my partner F (remember, he once said I could have permission to blog about him so long as I used a different initial to name him each time he came up). He literally picked me up out of the bathtub when I first experienced what we think was a herniated disc, and then handled all cooking/cleaning/shuttling/animal care/kid care for the weeks when I was basically a medicated, weepy heap of self-pity. Whaddaguy. In the year since, I've experienced mostly good things: HEALTH After my knee surgery I made a successful recovery, to the point where I am pain-free, most days. My surgeon thought I might need a total knee replacem...