I don't remember having ever heard of Damian Barr, prior to having seen Barr's name in a Peggy Noonan column in The Wall Street Journal. Upon investigation, I found that Barr is a British writer, columnist, and playwright. Noonan's column, which ran right near the end of December, was titled "A Look Back at the Pandemic Year," and it contained an almost month-by-month retrospective on what was, more or less, a pretty horrible experience - for lots of reasons.
Noonan's column focused on the pandemic, and its consequences for our body politic, but there are lots of reasons - most of them still with us, including our president - to be happy that we can try for something better, now that it's 2021.
In her column, Noonan quoted Barr as follows (this is apparently from one of Barr's "Tweets"):
We are not all in the same boat. We are all in the same storm.
That statement is certainly apropos of our confrontation with the global pandemic during 2020, but it strikes me, also, as an observation that does service as a more general statement, as well. As individuals, we find ourselves in very different circumstances and conditions - in different boats. But every one of us is navigating through the same tumultuous weather, when trouble, tragedy, and tribulation afflict the world at large.
And trouble, tragedy, and tribulation do afflict the world at large - and all of us who are in it. Now. Last year. This year. Always.
Given that we are, always, "in the same storm," it is important to remember that, and to base our calculations and actions on the profoundly relevant truth that "we are all in this together." If we can just remember this, we will do a better job of making sure that our common resources are deployed to address our general afflictions, however differently these afflictions may present themselves to each of us individually.
We are not all in the same boat, but we are all in the same storm. We tend to forget that, all too often.
Let's not forget it this year!
Image Credit:
https://pixels.com/featured/old-fishing-boat-in-a-storm-l-b-gert-j-rheeders.html
If you notice, there is no one at the helm! Our ship in sinking, my friend! Where are your comments about the riot and insurrection that happened yesterday at our nation's capitol! You could have used your pulpit to call for censure or impeachment of the sitting president. He could still do more damage in the days he has left. I say, "get a rope!"
ReplyDelete