Modus vivendi

I saw the pain management specialist today. He's generally pleased with  my progress, as the pain is gradually improving. He's less happy with my appetite (I've lost 15 lbs in 2 weeks-not a recommended approach!) nor with the level of my tiredness. He reminded me that I've been through a very difficult time in the past 6 months what with surgery, a fractured vertebra, a torn tendon and then a high dose of radiation. It's a lot for a person to handle... It's a bit challenging, to say the least. Jerry is again being attentive, and mostly curled up on my lap. When we got home from the hospital, he crawled into my lap and petted me on my tummy (like I pet him) and snuggled in. He's so affectionate when he's ready. My appetite persists in being annoying. we'll see how it can be managed.

I'm eligible, or will be, for the COVID booster. I'm questioning the ethics of 3rd shots when there are countries that are still waiting for their first! The science isn't there yet to support the effectiveness of the booster, although I'm sure that there will be proof. I think that it would be better if there were a concerted effort to ensure that everyone gets vaccinated. I mean, we worked to eliminate polio, measles and TB., so after the worldwide outpouring of activity to address Covid, it would only make sense for vaccines to be made widely available to the entire 7. ✗  billion people on the planet. We should be placing people before profits; and we shouldn't reduce the poor to subhuman status. It's beyond heartbreaking that a handful of individuals control so much money that's equivalent to the economies of about half the planet, while large portions of the world have no food, clean drinking water, shelter, medical care, education, or most things that we Westerners take for granted. There's definitely sufficient global wealth to feed, house, clothe, educate and treat everyone.. We could begin by defending weaponry which absorbs huge amounts of money internationally. And we should implement global standards to protect the environment, to distribute wealth, to prevent the exploitation of workers-basically, to be stewards of people and the land. Yes, I know that I'm something of an idealist, but I really believe that we should do more and better.

In theory, the UN is tasked with doing these things, but in reality, they do more talk than action. The wealthy countries- OECD, G20, etc-have the capability to make progress, but every meeting produces lengthy reports and there's limited action. For myself, I've seen that after 15 years, we're still in the same position. I wish they were as effective as their mission statements! But this isn't about attacking the international organizations; we are enabling the inaction when we opt for cheap clothing, cheap toys, etc, that rely on exploited labour. If we don't buy them, and instead focus on ethically sourced materials we can make a difference. Think about it!

On the festival of light, I think it would be truly transformative if we committed to supporting local suppliers and avoided cheaply made, mass produced items that are destroying more than they help. Maa Lakshmi is more likely to bless us if we care for others. Happy Diwali!