Posts

The Plague-Ground: Will how you voted determine if you live or die?

I’ve not written about Donald Trump because bashing my head against the wall is not one of my top self-care activities. Besides, reading about Donald Trump is crazy-making enough, in the way a bad drug or an old flame can be. But ages ago…

The Plague-Ground - What are you doing at 12 noon on Sunday?

GO TO YOUR PORCH OR BALCONY. Like you, I’ve sung O Canada hundreds of times. Like you, I can remember nearly none of them. But there are two that have stuck with me over the years, both joyous, chest-thumping occasions when our voices…

The Plague-Ground - They are not failed versions of us

“Never in our lives have we experienced such a global phenomenon. It's almost uplifting to know that virtually everyone on earth is sharing the same concerns and uncertainties, with all focused on the well-being of their families and communities.…

The Plague-Ground - Does Our Future Already Exist on Fogo Island?

As we sit at home watching our hair grow uncut, we’re deluged with ideas for how to rebuild a fairer, kinder world once life on earth returns to normal. Let me add this idea: Talk to Zita Cobb. She was born 62 years ago in Joe Batt’s…

The Plague-Ground - Are Your Lungs Older Than Your Denial?

Mine sure are. They’re 70 years old. My wife Jean’s are seven years older. This puts us both in the high-risk category for dying from COVID-19 if we test positive. So our roulette is different. Of the 65 Canadians who have died so far…

The Plague-Ground - Women’s Faces in Urgent Places

I think one reason Canada’s doing ‘okay’ in beating back COVID-19 is that we have so many women in charge of fighting it. Half of Canada’s 10 chief provincial medical officers are women, as is Canada’s chief medical officer, Dr.…

The Plague-Ground - THERE AIN'T NO MUSIC UNLESS THE WORDS SING.

Raise your hand if you don't like music. Good. Not one person raised their hand. It’s amazing that 100% of us can agree on one single thing these days (even staying away from each other, as these darkly funny appeals from Italian mayors…

The Plague-Ground - COMFORTS AND JOYS

  COVID-19 isn't the only thing going viral. It took just a week for us to be swamped with astounding new ways to help us cope with the dark days ahead. We can learn to cook everything in our fridge just by taking a picture of…

THE PLAGUE GROUND - A MOMENT OF DESPAIR

“We’re all going to die!” No one I know is actually saying that, or even screaming it. But today I’m feeling it. I catch a story out of New York about a young man dying, and quickly shut it off. I talk on the phone with a…

THE PLAGUE-GROUND - PRACTICE SOCIAL TIGHTENING

My 39-year-old step-daughter dropped off some toilet paper at our condo this morning. While we don’t need toilet paper, I was touched by her gesture. In return, I gave her one of our three tubes of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. Before last…