It is Thanksgiving 2022. I sit this morning with anticipation of the usual, the coming gluttony and regret. All signs point to it being a good day. There is a great deal to be thankful for in 2022, for me. As usual, there is a great deal to regret and lament in general. The world is not what it might be, and it certainly is not what it once was. As they say, "for better or worse," it "is what it is."
I reasonably recently noted a milestone in A Decade (March 2022). For ten years, I have been pounding this keyboard and sharing thoughts, analyses, and perhaps some humor. Some think this blog is about movies, others about music lyrics, and a few erroneously (or naively) think it is about workers' compensation. In the end, I struggle a bit with what it is about. But, the next post in this blog will mark 1,500 expositions. I have had other outlets over the years. I have published dozens of articles in journals, magazines, and newsletters. I have even published on other blogs. But this post marks 1,500 on this blog soon. I am grateful for the opportunity to share in this manner, for so long.
The world is in quite a fix this Thanksgiving. Inflation is run amok. As hard as it is to believe, flooding a marketplace with money can be inflationary. Inflation happens when too much money chases too few goods/services (scarcity) and the result is increasing prices. With referendum increases in minimum wages, government checks, and more on the income side inflation was predictable. With the pandemic shutdowns that kept many essentially homebound for months, there was also savings and some of the inflation is likely from pent-up consumption in the aftermath. Regardless, the old turkey dinner this year was pricey, and the gas to get there was pricier still.
The largest European war since the War of Nations (WWII) has been underway since Russia invaded Ukraine last February. It has impacted people around the world. The United Nations believes that Mr. Putin's Folly has put some 345 million at risk of starvation. For context, that figure is greater than the entire population of the United States (remember those folks when you get your third helping of pie today). That is a lot of people. The Russian "liberators" have severely damaged the power infrastructure, and it will be a cold winter for many in Ukraine. The reactions to the invasion and boycott of Russian energy may make for some cold times elsewhere in Europe as well, according to Reuters.
Remember when COVID-19 ended? That was a relief. Well, "over" is a matter of perspective. I got over the pandemic more rapidly than most. But, it is noteworthy that, according to the fine folks at the University of Nebraska (yes, it is not just a football team, but you gotta love the Cornhuskers):
"There are currently more than 37,000 cases reported in the United States per day, with test positivity of 8.6%. When test positivity is above 5%, transmission is considered uncontrolled. There are more than 340 deaths per day, and hospitalizations have increased 8% over the last two weeks"
So, "over" is perhaps an overstatement. But, the lockdowns, lockins, mask mandates, and more are over.
For whatever reason, we have a problem right now with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and the news refers to a "tripledemic." This references the implications of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and the Flu and RSV (the triple threat is filling hospitals). The implications are pretty clear as hospital wards fill up with patients seeking respiratory care. The great "lockdowns" and other responses may have led to greater RSV sensitivity or susceptibility. Or, the virus has become more prevalent. But, the scientists tell us that it is affecting a broader population this year than predicted (most cases in prior years were in children under 5).
Did I mention the cost of the Thanksgiving meal has increased? According to Fox25 in Orlando, the "Farm Bureau" has done some math regarding our big feed. It "estimates the cost of a ten-person Thanksgiving meal to be about 64 dollars in 2022." That is a significant increase (21%) from the "53 dollars in 2021." Inflation is not new this year, the Bureau says that last year's "53 dollars" was a significant increase (13%) from the "47 dollars in 2020." The turkey and accouterments just get higher and higher.
The good news (silver lining) is "cranberries are down 40 cents from this time in 2021." I can just see the press conference now: "you're a lying dog-face pony soldier" . . . "let them eat cranberries." I don't write for comedians, but that one is gold right there.
To make matters worse, we see tragedy in a daily parade across our news feeds, social media, and the Internet generally. There was a shooting in Colorado, another in Virginia, a suicide in Texas, and four fatal stabbings in Idaho that seemingly have the police flummoxed. One might say we are in a real state of higgledy piggledy. Some might say we are up the old feces tributary without a manual propulsion tool, in the soup, in a hole, backs against the wall. In the end, it seems likely that there are some emotional and mental health issues in our society that are not being sufficiently addressed. And, as a result, a great many are suffering, hurt, and challenged this holiday season. Hopefully we will not forget them.
In the end, I'm gonna revel in today's opportunity to be thankful. I will strive today to eat my weight in pecan pie, stuffing, and green beans. I will be thankful for the opportunity of this blog to share my thoughts, for the many people that support me throughout each year, for the peace and prosperity that we have in this country, and the warmth and comfort we enjoy while other world citizens suffer, subsist, and even fail.
Recovery will come; from pandemic (or tripledemic if you insist), war, famine, and inflation it will come. There is much wrong with the world today, and much upon which we might work. But, there is a great bit more right in the world and our individual lives. I hope for you that you find a way this day to recognize that in your world. Find peace in that you are not freezing, subject to violence, or worse. And, enjoy the cranberries you pony soldier (whatever that is).
May your day be calm and peaceful. "May the road rise up to meet you." "May your blessings be many and your troubles be few."
Thanks for reading. Looking forward to the next 1,500.
