Friday, December 4, 2020

 Just when one thinks life is getting better, I wake up with the news that there are 7,854 new cases of the virus in the County of Los Angeles. With 44 deaths. One can enjoy Noir films and novels, but we are truly living in a Noir period of time in the world. Now, we don't have to pretend or fantasize about such a landscape. It's here and now. The past nine-months seem to be like living in a 1950s Science-fiction film or a noir film about spreading the virus. I try to put myself in a literary or cinematic mode, but the horrific truth is that it's authentic. I can't turn off the images or the presence of the virus. I have dreams of being in crowded situations, such as a market or party. One person complains about feeling ill, and then another, and one more, etc. Oddly enough, it doesn't make me panic, nor do I feel fear. More of a disappointment in the sense that you see that package under the Xmas tree, and it's for you. You imagine it's the gift you always want, but once you open the present, it's something else. And it's not better than what you imagined for a better world. Remind yourself to take care of not only yourself but also think of others. -

Tosh Berman