Respect and disrespect

Misty forest

I found this picture, taken last month by Rita Eberle-Wessner on Flickr. I immediately started following her and simply love the feeling of this wonderful scene, first because it's in a forest, and second, the light coming through the mist. I'm not alone in liking it; I see it is cited in many people's favorites. The camera, a Canon EOS Mark IV is one reason Rita was able to capture such beauty.

But it takes more than a good camera to be a successful photographer. You've also got to be able to see the scene before you can capture it. Before the advent of the smartphone, I had a real camera, and I got some great pictures. Having the chance to take a picture and see it immediately has helped many fledgling photographers to change settings, try again, and improve the image. I wonder if anyone anywhere misses the days when you took a picture and had to wait until you got the prints back to see the results. Certainly not me.

Yesterday was the 4th of July holiday, and I didn't get much sleep last night. Although the city's fireworks had been canceled, and fireworks within the city limits are now illegal, it made no difference to the many people who decided to flaunt the rules and set them off. For hours! They didn't even begin to stop until midnight, and it was simply terrible to hear. I fell asleep several times, only to be awakened by an especially loud bang. Very disrespectful to others, in my opinion.

The idea of respect for others has been on my mind lately. It seems that as the world gets more and more populated, those who don't respect differences in opinion want to dominate and force others to change their minds. It happens in every aspect of life, but especially these days, in the middle of a pandemic. It never occurred to me that the simple wearing of a mask could become such a flashpoint. It's a measure of respect for others, it seems to me, and somehow it's now become a sign of political correctness. Some people see it as an infringement of civil liberty, but that makes no sense to me. You cannot walk around in public without clothes, and if you did anyway, you would be arrested.

When I look at other countries, wearing a mask is not seen that way, and we Americans are not making much sense. Our ability to keep the coronavirus contained has fallen apart, and the terrible damage to our economy, our lives, and our national standing is more evident by the day. Some mornings I wake up and wish it had all been just a bad dream. But it's not.

Yesterday I went for a nice walk in the sunshine and took a route that we had often walked during those days in the past when so many of us got together on a Saturday and took a brisk walk around town. The route took me up to the Western Washington University campus, and I ran into very few people along the way. Almost everyone, even outdoors, was wearing a mask. You could see people coming from a distance, and I saw they did the same thing as me: pulling up their mask as we got close to one another and then letting it fall back around the neck after we passed by. It shows respect, it seems to me.

As I left campus and grew closer to town, there were many more people out and about, enjoying the sunshine, and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. As I got closer to the boardwalk and people were everywhere, our masks stayed on our faces. Although the buses weren't running yesterday because of the holiday, I have noticed that when I pass one these days, the sign on the front has changed to toggle between the route number and a sign that says, "thank you for wearing a mask." Our governor has mandated mask wearing whenever you leave your home and cannot socially distance from others. And that order seems to be widely respected in our town.

Respect is one of life's greatest treasures. I mean, what does it all add up to if you don't have that? —Marilyn Monroe

 Today will be another nice day, with lots of sunshine. It's often said that in the Pacific Northwest, summer starts after Independence Day, and this year it has been borne out: a cool and rainy June, followed by clouds clearing and temperatures rising after the holiday. Not too much, I hope, since I love the coolness and have a more difficult time when the temperature starts to heat up into the eighties and nineties (that would be 27 to 33°C). But it is usually late July to early August before we get there. I will enjoy the summer months but once it begins to get hot, I'll start looking forward to fall.

My goodness, look at the time! I've been sitting here pondering what to write and two hours have slipped away. I woke at the usual time, I can't help it, but my dear partner sleeps away next to me. No tea left, and nowhere to go today. No appointments, no yoga, just whatever presents itself, once my obligation to write this post is finished. I hope wherever you are in the world, and whatever your circumstances, you will find some time today to give thanks for the blessings that surround you. Even if they are hard to find, I have no doubt they are there. And know that I send you my respect for the life that we share. Virtual connections have become amazingly important to me, and the one I share with you, my dear readers, is no different.

Until we meet again next week, be safe and search for the sometimes elusive Easter Egg of happiness. It's there, somewhere! I wish you all good things.