New Normal

New Normal

It was King Solomon who said, “there is nothing new under the sun.” That doesn’t take into account the new things I am experiencing. I haven’t been grounded since I was a teenager. Nor have I been called old so often by those who are concerned for my well-being. Most of my interacting with people is via texting, FaceTime or Zoom. I can’t shake hands, hug or kiss family and friends because of fear that I might be a Petri dish of disease.

Tell me there is nothing new under the sun. I grew up believing that people who wore masks in public were bent on doing me harm or eager to rob a bank. Now if you don’t wear one in public, you are shunned like you had the plague. I can’t take Daisy for a walk and stop to say hello to fellow travelers unless I keep the six feet social distance. Anybody care that it’s hard to hear what some else is saying at that distance even with hearing aids?

Enough of what’s wrong with the world. There is a new normal in our house. After almost twenty years of faithful service, our Sears Kenmore washer and dryer found a new home with our son. We purchased a Samsung set from Costco. Let me tell you, they are a thing of beauty. A lot of technical progress in twenty years. They are bold white with smoke glass doors and flashing blue lights when you hit the start button. There are soft musical tones when the cycle is finished instead of that awful buzzer. The washer tub is big enough to take a bath in. There is an option to operate them with bluetooth but that didn’t seem right. I am expecting great things to come from the laundry room.

On a more serious note this will be the new normal: “God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good, tears gone, dying gone, pain gone…Look! I am making everything new.”