Strange Days Indeed
The annual December 8th sojourn to the garden solitude of Central Park traversed a worn path. The pilgrimage to Strawberry Fields, a short walk from the bustle of John Lennon’s NYC home, was celebratory and hopeful, a peaceful exhibition of resilience amidst the despair of the global health crisis of our lifetimes. The brilliance of the musical and creative genius of a generation was taken far too soon; and the forty years since his 1980 passing are bridged by the marriage of lyrics and melodic harmony as poignant today as Yesterday. I Imagine he’d reflect on 2020 as Strange Days Indeed (Nobody Told Me).
At the intersection of K Street, where Wall Street rises while Main Street struggles, we are reminded of: the importance of family and friends; the need to lend a helping hand; the selfless deeds of frontline workers, health care professionals, doctors, nurses, researchers; those willing to roll up their sleeves in experimental trials to endure potential risk for the greater good; the might of our military and the public/private partnership that allowed Operation Warp Speed to meet its lofty designation; the importance of simple acts of kindness – a smile, a thank you – to the heroes and heroines of these Strange Days.
As I pen this piece, one must marvel at the pace with which COVID-19 vaccine distribution has begun – a literal shot of hope in the arm of millions of citizens from all corners of the globe. In a year notably absent of light, the transformational medical breakthrough of our lives is the most illuminating star we could have ever dreamed of as 2020 draws to a close.
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