The Back Log
It’s Sunday, also Easter, and cloudy, so even more quiet than usual. My legs are sore, though my feet are better. I decided to rest today and run tomorrow.
We, the whole family: kids, grandparents, D and I, watched “Parasite” together. While it was impressive as a work of art, it was also disturbing. And yeah, it’s supposed to be. I’m sure we’ll be talking about it for weeks and we’ll want to watch Bong Joon-ho’s other films.
As a social commentary on Capitalism, it was stark, as well as a stark commentary on human nature. The movie’s humor made its message all the more poignant, since it was really funny until it was absolutely not funny. The whole thing made me so sad.
I guess I am usually more optimistic, based on my own experiences. When I was growing up, there were times when we didn’t have much, but I never went hungry nor did we ever lack necessities.
My mother did, and of course my sisters and I helped her when we could.
I remember my father absolutely despising the ripped-jean trend; he remembered wearing clothing worn with holes, or patched; he and his brother and sisters wore clothes with holes or patches because they had nothing better. The idea that someone would pay good money for worn jeans flabbergasted him, particularly if they did not need to.
He did not consider this: if you were an economically disadvantaged teen, you might look no different from the middle class or rich kids your age. The other classes’ adoption of an impoverished look could have a weird leveling effect. If you are both poor and self-conscious, this fashion was not a bad thing.
Camouflaging need is not necessarily a good thing, however.
Today I called Jessica and we talked for about an hour. She felt better today, from what I could tell. Yesterday, through her texts to me, she worried about her job; she worried she would not be able to afford her apartment if she lost her job.
I should call DW. We text but it has been more than a week since we talked.
The kids spoke with T, my nephew, over Google Duo. That was good. He’s staying with friends and seemed happy. He is back in Albuquerque. I’m glad he is no longer sleeping in his car. He is working as a delivery person during the pandemic. I worry about him. His smoking could put him at a higher risk for complications if he contracted COVID-19. That said, he’s young and active, so fingers crossed for him.
I usually call C, my sister, but I felt talked out. She has been texting with me and the cousins.
F and I took the Prius out. We drove past the zoo, but there were service vehicles blocking the entry way for Griffith Park. So we did a U-turn and drove past Travel Town. A few people were out walking and biking. It was so nice to see different scenery.
I need to work on the website. I’m getting hung-up on the design, and shoudl probably just pick a simple, canned design to be done with it. It’s annoying, though, because I used to know how to do exactly what I want. I’d been a web designer-wrote HTML-and perl CGI’s-years ago. There is a way to do what I want. There has to be, if there was in 1996.
