Complicated Pleasures
A Complicated World
Another day that feels like emotional whiplash. This February thaw is welcome after days in the teens and single digits, after snow piling up as the driveway gets narrower, edged with snowbanks that make it difficult to back out safely into the road. But this day begins with sun which our lifts spirits instantly after a monotonous procession of gray skies.
Figure skating is happening at the Olympics today, pairs finals. Having followed figure skating for years the prospect adds to the endorphin effect from the sun.
But the chaos of our politics subtracts from the pleasures of the day. There is a bill in Congress, passed today in the House called the SAVE Act (more irony) which is an attempt to make voting harder. It will require voters to show an ID with a name that matches their birth certificate. Married women will be most affected if they took their husband’s name. Republicans often yearn for the days when women could not vote and may be trying to make it so. They also continue to push the myth that immigrants vote in large numbers in our elections which several studies refute. Here’s what registers as another step towards an authoritarian state in which “no one will have to vote ever again.” Our president makes this sound like a great advantage. The SAVE act still needs to pass in the Senate, a heavier lift.
Even so, a bit of bile is creeping into the day, fighting with the endorphins. But anger is a feeling to compartmentalize because it is so prevalent and we only have one life. Tuck the anger away and enjoy the grace of the ice skaters, the audacity of dancing on ice, of lifts that spin through air. How many falls happen in the lives of a pair of ice skaters until they conquer those airy arabesques. How many hours before her speed matches his? It’s the Olympics so perfection is the target. But perfection is rare. Still, the grace outweighs the missteps. It’s all far finer than what is happening to our democracy.
Savannah Guthrie’s mom is still missing. Another layer of feeling complicates the simple joy of a sunny winter day. Why has she been missing so long? Why don’t they go see Abby Shuto or Casey and use Master Mass Spec to map the DNA? Fiction gives us unreasonable expectations perhaps. Why aren’t there clearly recognizable ransom notes? Tucson has plenty of sun and no snow but sometimes when every day is sunny your mood wishes for a cloudy day.
The Japanese pair unexpectedly wins the gold medal, earned by a performance that flowed smoothly through complex jumps, choreography and lifts. Their tears are authentic and a spillover of uncontainable joy. It’s easy to be happy for them.
End the day with Bobbie Flay whose equanimity and good humor restores stability. and perhaps sends you to the kitchen for a snack. Reset for tomorrow, hoping for an emotional journey that stays within bounds.