8/31/2021

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            Viruses multiply. The Earth quakes. The forest burns. The winds howl. I think God is trying to get our attention.

I’ve been on high alert since I started this letter-writing practice in Jan, 2017. I try to keep in mind what I heard from Captain and Tenelle back in 1976, “Love will keep us together,” but it takes constant vigilance to maintain that stance.          

            As you may know, as animals, we have a tendency to be alert to danger so our attention always goes to the loud scary sound. It’s a pre-disposition to anger & fear. Fortunately, evolution did its magic & as our brains developed, we learned that cooperation is the best way to handle the dangers of this world. Unfortunately, our basal ganglia, AKA reptilian brain, sometimes gets the best of us & our flight/fight instinct comes into play. With all that’s going on right now, my basal ganglia is hyperactive & I am finding myself wanting to scram.

            I need to take deep breaths & luckily, I can do that today because the CA Air Resources Board says the AQ is good. At least that’s what they said 30 min ago. Now we are in the moderate zone. That means I need to finish this letter so I can get my swim in before the air gets worse.

            I almost forgot to say – thanks for ending our participation in the war in Afghanistan. War is not the answer, which brings me to my request for the day – call VPP & tell him not to sell arms to the junta in Myanmar.

            Finally, my suggestions for the day – Don’t let your basal ganglia get the best of you. Keep calm & carry on & as my dad would say, “keep smilin’.”

            BYBS,