Michael Harris: Relax and adapt, the future may look like this

To The Daily Sun,

Let's count our blessings. No, seriously, many of us are suffering serious inconvenience, hardships, or worse. I get that, sincerely. Truly, I feel for you.

YET, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining; it is an ill wind that blows no good; every challenge is an opportunity; and, God Help Us, the traditional Chinese oxymoron: may you live in interesting times.

Do we go to: when Life gives you lemons ... ?

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" famously Charles Dickens wrote in the aftermath ruins of the failed French Revolution.

Let us all make this, in our own ways, the best of times, learning change and appreciating what we have.

We ain't never goin' back to just the way things was — get used to it; after this, there will be another, other, coronavirus.

Let's learn and adapt, as other successful species do, to avoid extinction. Our general way of living is NOT sustainable.

The ghost of Old Malthus stalks the Earth, as he predicted many years ago, winnowing out the population, to create ...

THE GOOD NEWS: Wasteful consumption is way down, so is environmental pollution, so are energy and commodity prices. Working from home, etc., think of all the motor fuels, tires, etc. we save! Less mindless travel and frivolous consumption? Too bad! It was all unsustainable anyway. And where will be, if we do not have an NFL or NASCAR champion this year?

The Big Money Guys may be crying, but some of the rest of us ...

Some of us are finally FINDING THE TIME ...

"Some things don't need to be done at all , and deep inside we know it." What happened to the frenetic daily "To Do" lists? All those errands? Taking deep breaths, instead? Reading a book? Watching a good film with family and friends? Pursuing a home improvement project? Family picnic, walks, outing in the forest and parks? ENJOYING New Hampshire naturally?

Sure, online life is a drag, and particularly, I resent the impoverishment of my children's education, BUT LOOK AT THE BRIGHT SIDE, AND MAKE THE BEST OF THEM! The future may look much like this ... adapt or die.

(And please, spare me the "privileged, elitist" crap. My family and ancestors are/were hard-working people, doing the best we can.)

Michael Harris, PhD

Loudon