Morning Open Thread is a daily, copyrighted post from a host of editors and guest writers. We support our community, invite and share ideas, and encourage thoughtful, respectful dialogue in an open forum.
I’ve come to think of this post as one where you come for the music and stay for the conversation—so feel free to drop a note. The diarist gets to sleep in if she so desires and can show up long after the post is published. So you know, it's a feature, not a bug.
Join us, please.
Good morning everyone and welcome to Friday’s Morning Open Thread—which, if you’re reading this, means you’ve made it through another week. Given the horrific circumstances on the coast, though, these introductory words I originally wrote for the pandemic hold even more meaning. We survived—but you know that—and are cleaning up and the rebuilding now. The recovery will be slow. It always is. But the key is to keep moving forward, a bit each day is progress.
I wanted to take the time to post this morning because it seems like one act of normalcy I can stake claim to in this moment. Access to a network may not last and next week this simple goal may be unattainable, but I’ll take what I can get. I’m writing on my patio on Thursday night, awaiting the arrival of a cool front that has been promised but delayed. The heat makes it hard to sleep, but at least I don’t have to put up with annoying street lights. Or any lights at all. The darkness of nights are enveloping, with the low haze blocking the night sky like a jungle canopy. The heat, along with the anxiety, combine to make sleeping difficult; the amount of work to be done makes it vital.
I will write more when communications are more reliable. For now, I’ll say my neighborhood was hit hard and there is suffering going on, but there are communities a few miles south that are devastated, on the verge of collapse and their recovery in question. I’ve been working sunup to dark every day since Monday before last, and am bone tired. Still, we are here and working and even sharing laughs between bouts of depression. We’re a hearty bunch and I have no doubt we will abide.
Cheers all and if I can’t comment in the morning, please know I appreciate all the well wishes and prayers.
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Be well, be kind, and appreciate the love you have in your life.
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Grab your coffee or tea and join us, please.
What's on your mind this morning?