STRANGELY FINDING “COMFORT” IN THE ARMS OF MICHAEL LANDON..

“This has gone on since March,” .. OMG…

PANDEMIC “EXHAUSTION”, IT IS THE LATEST ..

I Live in 10024, THE UPPER WEST SIDE.. home to ROM COMS, SEINFELD, TINA FEY, several Hollywood “notables”.. Central Park, Riverside Drive, and Mrs .MAISEL .. We shop at Zabar’s.. ( it’s small), we eat bagels “with a schmer”, care deeply about artisan bread, and complain about the sheer number of coffee places and restaurants we cannot sit inside of . We readily point out the DAKOTA, like John and Yoko are still “home”.. We listen to Jazz, read the NY TIMES cover to cover, and camp outside of Strands, Shakespeare and CO.. , even Barnes and Noble ( although the latter is a “chain”.. “independent” booksellers are much more “US”.. We are LIBERAL.. gave 8 mil to Biden.. but kick our homeless to the curb.. (“Quality of life”.. exclusively “ours”)

Museums, WALK UPS that are refurbished , and doorman buildings, GRUB HUB, DOOR DASH….AMAZON PRIME..

WE ARE “EXHAUSTED” FROM ZOOM.. TRADER JOES “LINES”… and NETFLIX..

We want to be saved.. LIFE “ RESTORED” TO OUR TRANQUIL “NORMAL”

We cheered in the streets on BIDEN DAY..

WE ARE “AMERICANS” and in our minds, the ones who are “cultured, intelligent, and.. well.. WORTHY..”

And we are SOFT..

Ask us to “CARE”… but explain “what’s in it for us..”

That .. my friends .. is LIFE. Above 57th and below 120th..WEST.

In my effort to FIND AMERICA.. ( I can’t get on a plane, train .. or automobile)

I stumbled across reruns of “LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE ” on AMAZON PRIME.. Flashbacks of “Ron and Nancy”.. the 1980’s..back when I was oh so very young.. “fighting the good fight”.. with my overbleached blonde hair, bubblegum pink lip gloss , and attitude .. “LIVING ON A PRAYER..” filled my head … I clicked to watch ..

“Theme” .. Americans willing to SACRIFICE, WORK RIDICULOUSLY HARD, ENDURE HARDSHIPS, ( no indoor plumbing), 18 hour days … PLOWING, PLANTING, BAKING, CHURNING.. the whole lot of them.. BECAUSE AMERICA WAS OPPORTUNITY..BUT YOU NEEDED TO SWEAT, TOIL, AND BREAK YOUR BACK..

Families together in small ramshackle houses, bed at sundown.. up at sunrise ..

Christmas was a “shiny new penny and a peppermint stick”..

Communities ( rather small groups of families) formed towns.. they looked out for each other.. they met on Sundays, gave “thanks” and did it all again on Monday .. ( no vacations planned ..)

What was “hokey” back in 1984.. ( but extremely popular) brought tears to my eyes.. ( and made me miss my grandmother) WE WERE STRONG.. AMERICA WAS INDEED “YOUNG AND SCRAPPY”… AMERICANS .. TOOK THEIR SHOT.. AND THEY DID NOT WASTE IT..

FAST FORWARD.. WE ARE NOW THAT AMERICA.. There are no fields to plow, homesteads to create.. covered wagons filled with HOPE and a FEAR that said .. “GO .. DO IT anyway .. THERE IS ONLY FEAR.. of “missing out”.. on the “privilegedness” that we DESERVE ..

As my brain makes connections in the oddest ways.. one quote from a sagely Disney LION comes to mind ..

“REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE..”

We are not removed from our ancestors .. WE ARE A CONTINUATION

of them .. We are CONNECTED to our past.. and our children are as well. .. a continuation of a circle that is not supposed to end ..

NY TOUGH.. AMERICAN “KNOW HOW”.. “THE YANKS ARE COMING..”.. so many phrases … pick one .. TURN OFF NETFLIX.. TURN ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL.. that’s WHO WE ARE..

And sing … #simonandgarfunkel”… ( the last verse sums us up..)

“Cathy, I’m lost, I said though I knew she was sleeping

And I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why

Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike

They’ve all come to look for America

All come to look for America

All come to look for America”…

SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND… 💔❤️💙❤️💙❤️

(Spoiler alert.. START in the bathroom mirror..)

WE ARE DEFINING THAT CONTINUATION… WE ARE THAT “CIRCLE UNBROKEN..”.

SUCK IT UP.. MY FELLOW UWS NYC LIBERAL “ SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING”…”RESCUE US, ANDY COUMO AND JOE BIDEN, WE WILL SIT HERE AND WAIT, WATCH AND WHINE..” PALS..

OUR ANCESTORS ARE INDEED..”SPINNING IN THEIR GRAVES”….