Welcome back to the Nuts & Bolts newsletter.
According to the scientists and highfalutin calendar making folks, spring started back on March 19. While that might be technically true, we real Americans are still waiting. For us, spring won’t begin until baseball begins, even if we have to push this year’s spring to next year like the 2020 Olympics now occurring in 2021.
Let’s just hope we don’t have to postpone the summer too.
Baseball isn’t the only thing we’re missing out on during this long winter, wrought with sickness. America’s second favorite pastime, going to the theater, is also off the table for now. Speaking of movies, be sure to add the people that run Netflix to your list of pandemic heroes. Truckers and nurses are great and all, but did they restore our faith in the American experiment? No, but Tiger King is getting darn close, not to mention compelling our significant others to lay on the couch within striking distance.
Wait, there’s more.
Giving up baseball and moviegoing may be our greatest sacrifice, but there’s plenty more not to like about the situation. With millions filing for unemployment, paychecks are getting harder to come by; I read in fancy publications that those are important to a few people. Take preachers for example, God’s bread isn’t the only kind they need to survive. That could explain why some are still endangering their flock by holding in-person services.
Fortunately, relief money will be helping Americans soon. At least while it lasts.
Free financial advice: Don’t spend that $1,200 all in one place. This is not the time to buy new golf clubs or exotic cats. One ply toilet paper is going for about $20 a pack. Be smart.
Outside of how to spend your unearned money, there are other unsettling, even frightening, worries we face. Think about those with poor mental health that were already close to the edge before the virus took off. Think of all the women in abusive relationships that can’t flee as easily from their spouses that are even more stressed than usual. Consider the fear faced by parents bringing new life into the world during this time. Don’t forget about men all over the heartland that have been stuck for weeks in close quarters with their mothers-in-law. Sadly, the list goes on.
Despite all this, the are great things happening.
Sun-screen time is up.
I read the other day that screen time has gone up among children (and everybody else) since schools went virtual. At first glance, that might be alarming considering how high the numbers were before, but it’s hardly newsworthy. It’s more predictable than the crime scene in your bathroom after eating six chalupas with a side of cinnamon twists.
Personally, I’m not too concerned about this development because (a) their actual school work is now produced using a screen, (b) they were addicted before when they didn’t have an excuse, and (c) I’ve noticed something else increase: the amount of time kids are spending outside.
In the last week alone, I’ve won foot races against four kindergarteners in my neighborhood. They call me Michael Johnson.
It feels almost like the 90s again—we have internet access (albeit at much higher speeds), but combined with at least a little bit of desperately needed human connection (from a distance) and vitamin D. This isn’t just about the kids either.
In the middle of last week, at two o’clock in the afternoon, I was drinking White Claws in another parents front yard while building relationships that could last forever and playing hide-and-seek. That happened exactly zero times before three weeks ago.
It feels kind of weird, but when they reintroduce animals into the wild, it doesn’t feel right to them either. That doesn’t necessarily make it bad.
Time away from the grind.
I’m home everyday now (working remotely) and my wife’s hours have changed so she gets home earlier in the evening. It doesn’t take Trump-level genius to figure out that this would lead to a higher standard of living (especially if household income remains constant), but without this being imposed externally, we might not have gained firsthand knowledge.
The little things that have resulted, like more family dinners and longer talks over wine, are priceless. More sharing in the labor of parenting hasn’t been bad either.
Then, there’s the strengthening of social ties that can occur when you get more time away from the grind. We all sense a need to strengthen our neighborhoods and communities—the essential fabric of the American tapestry—but that’s not possible when our sole focus is on more money and collecting stuff.
Somehow, all of this—time outside, away from screens; midweek drinks with friends; looking out for each other’s kids; family dinners; longer walks and talks—has been underrated. It’s no wonder shit has gone sideways despite being told we have a so-called higher standard of living.
This pandemic still sucks, but whenever spring finally returns, maybe we can all go to a good, long baseball game and learn to appreciate the pauses between the action again. I know I will.
P.S. I understand that this was more of a “news”letter since there was no news. I’m not dropping actual news, but I am changing things up a bit. I’ll provide more details later. Lastly, if you noticed any spelling and grammar mistakes, I apologize; my editor is home on furlough.
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