"In this sticky web that we're all in, behaving decently is no small task." -- Novelist Stacey D'Erasmo

Sunday, August 7, 2022

Is Anybody Listening?

     A roundup of Baby Boomer blogs this week finds that we're doing a lot of talking. But is anyone listening?

     For example, do you talk to your pets? Rebecca Olkowski of the blog BabyBoomster sure does. But do they listen? She just spent two and a half weeks pet sitting for her brother and found herself Talking to Animals When There's No One Around. Put your ear to the door of her post to find out what she was saying . . . and who she was sleeping with.

     Carol Cassara is speaking more to pet owners. In Can You Afford a Pet? she asks some tough questions about whether some owners can handle the responsibilities that go along with pet ownership -- and she offers a couple of links to resources that might help those who are having problems.

     Laurie Stone of the blog Musings, Rants & Scribbles realizes that sometimes you go to a concert expecting one thing, but if you listen carefully, you end up with something better. Her husband got tickets to see Gordon Lightfoot, one of her favorite folksingers. She was expecting a good performance. What she didn't expect, she tells us in When a Concert Is More than a Concert, was to be reminded of these three poignant life lessons.

     Jennifer of Untold and Begin was Feeling a Little Nostalgic for Childhood Cartoons this week and so she went on Youtube to find some of her old favorites. She shares a few clips in her post. Listen in to see if you remember some of these shows.

     Meanwhile, stifling heat lasting days, as well as noisy crowds, tangled traffic and long lines everywhere aligned to generate a seasonal illness that struck Meryl Baer of Beach Boomer Bulletin. In Seasonal Sickness Strikes she discusses the treatments she tried to help her endure.

     Diane remembers when an overactive girl, a car left running, and an absent mother all came together to create a unique parking experience. Of course the girl didn't listen to her mother. So roll over to Early Parking to find out what happened.

     On a more serious note, Rita Robison, consumer and finance journalist, asks:   Why Won't Americans Wear Masks to Protect Themselves? Even when her county was rated High Risk for Covid, local businesses still didn't require, or even strongly recommend, that customers wear masks. Instead, they only say:  Masks are Optional. Which means hardly anyone wears a mask. It's puzzling to Robison (and me too) why people won't listen when more than 400 Americans are dying from Covid every single day. 

11 comments:

Carol Ann Cassara said...

Always nice to read this roundup, Tom!

Arkansas Patti said...

What great sites to visit. Thanks Tom.

Jennifer (UnfoldAndBegin) said...

Thanks for sharing, Tom.

Laurie Stone said...

Thanks, Tom! Nice job.

Rita said...

Great job, Tom, on the blog roundup. You are such a terrific writer.

Rian said...

I haven't hit the other sites yet, Tom, but of course people talk to their pets. I also talk to my car...

Miss Merry said...

I really enjoy the roundup!

Rebecca Olkowski said...

Lots of fun stories this week. Thanks, Tom.

gigi-hawaii said...

All interesting blogs! Gigi Hawaii

Mick said...

Maybe because masks don't work? Repeated randomized control trial testing shows this. Of course, you can rely on the "gee, it oughta work" mentality and condemn other people for doing their research....

Remember, the WHO and CDC recommended NOT wearing a mask at the start of the pandemic, based on such studies. NOTHING has changed except people deciding "we have to do something" made sense.

Kay said...

I'm seeing a LOT more people walking around without masks. They forget that the numbers are NOT telling the whole story because people are testing at home.... especially now that seniors can get 8 test kits a month.