So begins a song by Jack Johnson, I’ve loved it since I first heard it years ago, and he did it “live from home” as part of the stream of the Kukua Festival the other day…“…in times like those, what will be will be, and so it goes…”

I find the most meaning in times like these, in the simplest turn of a phrase, a lyric, a picture. I am so incredibly jealous of poets and songwriters, those folks with an innate gift for telling a story, painting a picture, evoking a memory, sometimes joyful, sometimes sad, in very few words. In times like these, someone like me, who loves to talk, can only talk so much to his poor wife who is locked up with him and has heard all his stories over and over, and is also trying to keep her head above water and stay sane, so any story I might have that is not accompanied by some beautiful music would only be more a chore than a revelation or a moment of solace.

With the sun out today and the promise of more rotten weather over the next few days, I suited up and went for a run. I did what I always do, I complained about not wanting to go, but knowing it was for the good, My intent was about 20 minutes just to get it done. I turned from the driveway and was already stiff, and worried about my wind, then, as also always seems to happen, about 1/4 mile out, things got loose, my wind picked up (I do so miss the pre-Covid time where I was able to expel many mucous missiles and be completely clear of the seasonal allergies by the first 1/2 mile, now out of respect and caution, I don’t do that, even with no one around). I had the foresight to choose the Layla album as my musical companion today and that also helped. I ended up 4.04 miles later in under an hour (that is sssslllllooooowwww for most I know but for me it’s pretty damn good)   Here I am after the run….only passed a person once so didn’t need to pull up the SoNo swag buff more than that one time

It got me thinking about the changes from times like those….so for your enjoyment, or for your horror at what once was, here is a video of some changes over the past years (thanks in large part to some very talented doctors. These fine folks (two more big F’s: Figgie and Floch) gave me the tools to get from times like those to times like these…

https://animoto.com/play/OOyKXjdBXMDaqhdYT1UIQw

I also thought about how much I’m looking for the world to turn back to “normal” as in “what it was”….watching this video it also hit me that sometimes the “normal” of what was can be changed for the better, so maybe, just maybe, when we come out of this, and we will, (the light is already beginning to show a very small little) we need to take the best of what we got from this (an increase in kindness and consideration) and keep it at the forefront of how we treat each other for the long haul.