Hello there,
Welcome to new readers! To those of you who have been around for a while, you know that I have not sent an update recently. It is likely for the same reason that now affects all of us in one way or another these days − the pandemic. A few days ago in the hallway of my building, a masked neighbour who is working remotely, said, “The way we’re living has come to feel almost normal.” Well, almost!
It is certainly a time for reflection. The big issues have not gone away. Truth and Reconciliation. Black Lives Matter. Climate Change. Integrity in politics. How will we move forward into what could be a better world beyond this unprecedented time? What are you reading? I am about to start Desmond Cole's book. "The Skin We're In; A Year of Black Resistance and Power.”. On my list of books read, Carol Anderson's "White Rage" looks at the history and politics that underlie present day racicm in the US. There is systemic racism in Canada also. A course on Black History In Canada I took only a few months ago revealed the complicity of many early and prominent Canadians in the slave trade, a history neither widely known nor talked about until recently. We claim the Underground Railroad as a positive Canadian story. but often ignore that slavery existed in Canada as well as in the USA. And still affects attitudes, actions and policies to this day.
And what of those fires across the western USA and Canada? In failing to recognize climate change. what have we done to create the conditions for such destruction? In our rush for increased consumption, what can we do now to change this course we seem set on?These are questions that must be addressed. I have just put Thomas Homer Dixon's book, "Commandng Hope; The Power We Have To Renew A World in Peril" on my reading list.. Will this help me to move forward in some constructive way?
Yes, there are many reasons to despair. Nonetheless, I continue to write and revise, to attend Zoom meetngs and courses, to see a few "real people" (masked and distanced) outdoors. Platforms like Skype, Zoom and Facetime,have made this period somewhat palatable A real plus has been to reconnect with McGill grads I knew aeons ago, most of ttem in various parts of the eastern USA. You can bet we talk about politics and the upcoming American election.
I have written two new short stories this year, submitted my longer non fiction story, “Late Bloomer.” I think this last story is a testament to ongoing creativity at a later age and has the potential to inspire others to follow their dream/s. I also bake and gain weight, then stop that and take off the pounds. When the sun is shining, I often simply go for a walk. Winter will soon be here, so I soak up fair weather and the colours of fall while they last.
At some point, I realized that people are learning about aspects of themselves during the pandemic that could well be relevant to their thinking about retirement. Managing time and the dilemma of social isolation have become priorities in Covid19 time. So I pulled the retirement manuscript up onto the screen and found I could use the material I had amassedd with a slighlty different slant here and there.
This book, "The Stage Is Yours; Retirement In The Wake Of A Pandemic," will be useful especially for people in their fifties and early sixties on the threshold of transition into retirement. Retirees may also check it out to see if they have missed anything, Now the burning question is how to see it published fairly quickly so it will be available for those who will find it helpful as they transition into another stage of their lives.
On another note, I miss being able to visit with my grandchildren in person (in SW Ontario & Quebec’s Eastern Townships) but do have great telephone calls with Max (22) and lovely long Skype calls with Maurice (Mo)(6) & Emmanuelle (3).
There it is! Life from one particular bunker in the midst of a pandemic.
Take care! Stay safe!
Mary Lou Dickinson
ps. When I set out to write this missive, my intention was to make this short. Sorry, it didn't work. When I started to reflect, it just got longer. If you have read this far, many thanks! I also want to thank those of you who sent feedback on retirement after my request in an earlier post. What you shared has been very useful in writing the book mentioned above.
Upcoming reads: Farzana Doctor's new novel "Seven."
Mary Rykov's poems. "Some Conditons Apply."
Also looking forward to a book edited by Shirley Spaxman on spiritual philosophy and meditation
