Sunday, January 3, 2021
I love watching Bridgerton. I binged watched till 11 pm. I texted Dorothy before I went to bed, warning her that I would be sleeping in. She texted me in the middle of the night, what was early in the morning for her, to say that she was getting up early to go shopping and then would come home to nap. The rate of Covid infection in New Jersey is much higher than here. Her daughter, Karin, has been asking her not to go out shopping at all. Dorothy's compromise is to go during the early morning senior hours.
I spoke to Jean, my friend in Arizona, on my morning walk instead of Dorothy. We traded down stories. I have been thinking about Mike's time in the hospital a lot, not so much when I'm up and about, but when they interrupt my sleep at night. Jean has her own family problems. Talking to her comforts me.
I find myself thinking, why do I get so much from her. I think the simple answer is that she enjoys my company. She just likes me. I have had people in my life who latch on to me as a novelty item, something to show off to their friends. That feels so different; it's not nearly as enjoyable. I also have a relative who admires me and fears me but never liked me. The interaction became bad enough that I put an end to it.
I didn't do much for the morning. I sent out a few updates, did some infrared light treatment on my leg, and napped. When I got up, I did some work trimming the bougainvillea in the yard off the bedroom. Once warm enough, I gave Elsa her much-needed bath. She didn't look that dirty; it was just that she was scratching herself and licking her paws. I checked; there were no lesions. Her skin condition is no longer a problem. I have taken her off the doctor-prescribed pills, which compromise her immune system. I started using MakesNoClaims powder (the family name for Intrasound products) in her food, half a teaspoon twice a day. She has been off the prescribed pills for now and is doing just fine. I have kept her on the Science Diet food which the vet prescribed, but that never made a difference before. I didn't even need to use the special medicated soap. Her skin was perfect.
I put off bathing Elsa again because it was too cold and because she hates it. She's well-behaved and doesn't turn the event into a wrestling match, but she shakes the whole time. I don't like it any more than she does.
I worked on the PowerPoint presentation of my method for teaching reading. I wasn't sure if I had the latest modification on the tablet or my Apple computer. I set them up side-by-side and compared them one slide at a time. This wound up being a great system, solving other issues as well. Dorothy told me to create similar-looking slides to discuss the first and second phases. Using both computers side by side, I could do this more easily. I modified both files simultaneously.
The other day, Darby gave me a copy of a play by a now-deceased friend of hers based on an incident on the Hawaiian island of Ni'ihau in early December of 1941. The incident is interesting. The Japanese pilots were told to land their planes on the island if they ran into trouble. They falsely assumed the island was uninhabited. One pilot did land his plane there only to discover residents. While the island is reserved for native Hawaiians only, a couple of Japanese ancestry ran the local grocery store. They were longtime residents of the island. The pilot had been captured by a native Hawaiian. While he went off looking for some papers, the pilot was concerned about preserving and keeping from US sight. The man who owned the grocery store, who was of Japanese background, was charged to keep an eye on the pilot. The pilot convinced this man that his obligation was to the emperor of Japan. Convinced, the grocery store man handed the gun he was holding over to the pilot. When the Hawaiian returned, the pilot shot him several times. I believe it was the wife of the Hawaiian man who overcame the pilot, recapturing him. The grocery store man then shot himself because he was betrayied his emperor. (It should be noted that the playwright's assumption was that he killed himself for betraying his emperor. Wiki makes no such statement. ) What was particularly fascinating about this story was my reaction. I could understand why the US government felt compelled to inter the Japanese.
It wasn't until I spoke with Darby that I registered the implications of my reactions. My immediate reaction was to understand why the US government thought they had to inter ALL people of Japanese descent. Wow! Listening to this man's story, feeling he owed loyalty to the emperor even though he was not living in Japan, threw me. I can understand why some people conclude all Muslims are bad because of what some do. I was shocked to see my own vulnerability to this one-equals-all conclusion. Boy, if I can feel that way with my commitment to not indulge that prejudice, I can see how difficult it is for others who don't have my commitment. Of course, some Japanese people maintained loyalty to the Japanese emperor even after living in the US for years. But that did not equal all then, and it does not equal all now. How do we know the difference between those who are our enemies and those who aren't? Is it better to assume that all are enemies just to be on the safe side? Having been a member of a persecuted minority group, I believe no. I think lumping all, demonizing, is never a good option.
I will have another serving of the dinner Judy brought over two days ago. Delicious. Garlic mashed potatoes, mixed carrots, and green peas, and a piece of beef that melts in my mouth.
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Musings:
Despite today's high divorce rate, most marriages last longer than in colonial times; marriages were terminated primarily by death in those days.
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