The bottom line, the human kind

[sovay]

So last night Governor Baker declared a state of emergency for Massachusetts and as of this morning COVID-19 has been officially declared a pandemic by the WHO and in the meantime as far as I can tell our federal government is hoping that keeping their fingers in their ears means they can't be held responsible for the bodies stacked against their door. God damn it, the Depression took out Herbert Hoover and he didn't personally dismantle the banks. He did endorse the so-called "Mexican Repatriation," of course, so this terrible, stupid remix of the twentieth century rolls on.

I have decided it's not irony that my very early doctor's appointment yesterday gave me useful information. My hearing is undamaged; it remains what the ENT described as "supersonic." My environmental allergies are effectively out of control and their management needs to be entirely rethought in collaboration with a competent allergist rather than multiple well-meaning practitioners in different departments. I am not making this post for advice; I have a plan and an appointment and am assuming for the present time that it will continue to be possible for me to see the doctors that I need to. I am just so happy that I saw a specialist about a problem and the answer was not a shrug but some practical steps. Also it was nice out and I managed some grocery shopping and in the evening spatch and I walked into Union Square and watched The Sunshine Boys (1975) when we got back. "Was that joke from our act?"–"Who knows?"

Courtesy of tikkunolamorgtfo: I had never heard of the Ashkenazi custom of the "black wedding," held in times of epidemic—cholera, typhus, influenza. The image of the wedding in the cemetery is a powerful one. I wonder if a little of it filtered into Tevye's dream. Or An-sky.

I feel like my resting mode right now is anger and that is not physically healthy for me. I should do something with a movie.

Comments

[asakiyume]

I'm finding that custom of the black wedding more moving than I expected to. My emotions are all out of whack with this pandemic. Or maybe, in fact, they're completely appropriate. Anyway. What a touching custom.

The healing angel's significant other is Jewish and came over the other day and made magnificent cookies--they told me the name but I forget what it was--for Purim. SO DELICIOUS. I have never had Jewish things in my life any closer than internet friendships, so this was quite a treat.

Very, very glad to hear you're going to be in the hands of an allergist who can maybe give you something other than ineffective stopgap measures. Meanwhile, take as good care of yourself as you can--you are the one and only you I know.

[desireearmfeldt]

As I was scrolling your post into frame on my screen, I misread out of the corner of my eye, "Martian Repatriation." Another possible spec-fic premise... :)

[davidgillon]

Everything crossed for an allergist for a plan!

[pameladean]

I'm so glad you have a plan, and hope a competent allergist will follow shortly.

When Minnesota does declare a state of emergency I will probably not like it at all, but right now I wish they would go ahead and do it while things are not completely underway.

P.

[lemon_badgeress]

new mexico is SOE now too. i’ve been angry for years. this may break me because if i bring this home to my father i will kill him.

may the allergy treatment plan WORK.

[nineweaving]

I saw a cryptic allusion to black weddings earlier today, which I couldn't look it up at the time, so I'm grateful for your link. What an opera this would make! But another part of my brain is worried: a thousand people gathered in a graveyard in an epidemic? Does the opera end with a chorus of ghosts? Perhaps the couple are anti-scapegoats, the chosen survivors, passed over by the angel of death. Is consummation part of the magic? They may have been single for reasons of their own...

Nine

[a_reasonable_man]

A black wedding would be a good subject for a story or poem.

I am glad to learn that your hearing is "supersonic." It does not surprise me. You take better care of your hearing than anyone I know.

[gwynnega]

I'm glad you have a competent allergist and supersonic hearing. (The audiologist I saw last year said I had the hearing of a teenager, which surprised me, what with all the loud music I've subjected my ears to over the years.)

My resting mode right now is fear, which I don't think is any healthier than anger.

[starlady]

In the midst of all the chaos, it's been a definite comfort to me that the allergy shots I started in October 2018 are definitely working at last. I hope you will also be able to experience similar relief of symptoms sooner rather than later.

[rosefox]

A good allergist is a joy forever. I hope yours makes a significant positive difference to you.

[cyphomandra]

I hope your allergies are tameable and your local politicians sensible. Ours have been cautious and also (so far!) we’ve been lucky, but I’m concerned for friends elsewhere (including you!)

[selkie]

We are, I regret to venture, fucked. Fucked like a tidy row of ducks.