Reset button

You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell! - George Taylor

For some time, I had been feeling that things had gone to shit. We successfully stumbled through three years of President Cheeto and, with an election on the horizon, there was a brief opportunity for optimism. Yet, one can't help but feel some level of sadness after scanning the daily headlines - regardless of which side of the aisle one falls.

So many segments of life have been corrupted by political leaders trying to retain power, CEOs trying to boost their stock price or bureaucracies trying to justify their existence. All the while, public trust and kindness slowly disappear. Sometimes, there are only so many cute cat videos that one can binge.

Then, slowly, Mother Nature gives us a wee nudge. And, since she's Mother Nature, her nudges happen on a global scale. She's not wasting time with a tornado in the midwest or a landslide in the far east. No, she deems a wee bit of protein to be her messenger.

And just like that. People die. Economies freeze. Societies slow. But also, air pollution drops and traffic eases. Some spend a bit more time with family. Others rediscover their appreciation for the workers lucky, or unlucky, enough to still be working. Either way, lives are forever changed.

Like I said, I had been feeling that things had gone to shit. I wished for a big reset button - "Well, we tried, but too many people just suck and it's too far gone. Better luck next time."  My most basic goal was to simply survive, with no real hope beyond that. Now, survival is a very real thing - but I feel there's a wee opportunity to be better. I just hope more people get Mother Nature's hint.