Friday, December 5, 2025

     In the mornings, I peel a citrus fruit, usually a tiny one with loose skin. This morning, I had a real orange. I struggle with my fingers to detach the orange’s skin. Bit by bit the naked orange appears. I eat several segments. Really good. My hands now are saturated with orange residue.

     We have a long intimate discussion of our struggles with politics and community. We each have desperate desires to make things better, to fix people and situations. The reality of life’s uncertainties keeps arising.  I cannot fix people or things.  But there are things I can do. I am a member of this community of humans, but not the boss.

     I walk on the deck in the sun light but I am too cold and quickly return to the warm living room. I do my thirty minute chair yoga exercises. I read a book, watch the news, talk to friends in person and on the phone. Life is good and life is difficult. I practice blowing my anti ICE whistle. Soon I will go out to Home Depot parking lot, with my whistle, to see what is happening.

     I am intensely involved in Michael Connelly’s novel, THE PROVING GROUNDS, a Lincoln Layer novel. The plot revolves around a court case concerning the dangers of Artificial Intelligence development. My go to TV show is now BLUE LIGHTS, a series about young police officers in Belfast Ireland.