You Lucky Dog

Another morning, presuming I am still alive;

The dog snoring softly on our bedroom rug,

 content and peaceful in his repose,

            doesn’t rise,

as I do, stumbling in the dark

to eliminate the nights’ accumulation.

His dream continues into the warming of the day

with mementos of past victories

while I drag myself awake,

move soundlessly through rooms,

 dig in closets, and eat alone.

Some vague fantasy plays itself out in his mind as

I gather work paraphernalia and food

 for a second meal of the day,

and make my way

 to the door.

Good-bye and sweet dreams,

you lucky dog.

By Annette Gagliardi

This poem was published in 2015 in the SouthWest Journal, here in South West Minneapolis. I’m noting this as another of my poems, “An Accidental Crime” will be published in the upcoming — and final issue of our area newspaper. The paper is folding because they rely on advertisement to pay for production and the number of sponsors who advertise has fallen away, so they can no longer survive.

The SouthWest Journal goes the way of many small businesses who can no longer survive in these pandemic times.  The poem above laments the idea of going outside the house, to work, while my dog lounges at home. Now, many, many people are working from home. But many more are unemployed. In fact, the morning newspaper has an article about the lowering rate of unemployment. We should remember that many people are no longer collecting unemployment, but the unemployment numbers are misleading because it does not account for those whose employment benefits have run out, or those who have given up entirely.

“Even in the best-case scenario, the US will have sustained recession level unemployment.”

                                                            -PIIE (Peterson Institute for International Economics)

Times have changed dramatically this year, so those habits we used to have, no longer work for everyone. We can’t necessarily lounge in bed like our pets, but we may have a different schedule and new norms. Our dogs love having us at home. Perhaps the cats do too—they’ll get back to you.

Just this morning, we have ‘gone to work’ with my daughter teaching in her upstairs bedroom, my grandson learning at his school desk in the foyer, myself and our 3-yer-old granddaughter doing our ‘seat work’ at the kitchen table and my husband at the dining room table ‘mathing’ something. We have all gone to work, relatively speaking. Yet none of us have left the house.

One challenge to families these days is how to get that work done in a vibrant, thriving household with all the noise and interruptions that a lively family creates.  My friend was discussing this challenge last night at our Zoom meeting. She said her daughter was moving to the basement for school work and she might use her daughter’s bedroom for her work office because working in the kitchen posed too many obstacles and interruptions. It takes problem solving skills and flexibility to make this new situation work for everyone.

In many ways, working from home makes me feel like the “lucky dog” in the poem, yet I understand that others may not feel so lucky. We regularly tell ourselves how fortunate we are that: 1. We are retired, thus flexible, 2. We have social security, so get a steady income, 3. Our house is paid for and we have the space to support our daughter by having her live with us, 4. We are all (so far) healthy and 5. We have enough resources to keep busy and be able to do our learning/teaching/supporting without it being difficult. There are so many out there who do not have these assurances of security, so we try to share our resources as much as possible.

People get cabin fever really fast now days, but it’s called ‘pandemic fatigue’. I like that, because the snow is upon us and I foresee cabin fever and pandemic fatigue colliding mid-January when all heck breaks loose and we see folks running down the streets screaming. Actually, I  predict many more instances of reckless abandon, instead of outright havoc. I think the politicians create enough havoc and I have confidence in my fellow citizens to think we are creative enough and kind enough to find the joy in everyday life and to make fun in the ways that are available to us.

Here’s an example: My husband took a walk yesterday and our daughter jumped to go with him, wanting to get a break. They walked up to Nicollet Avenue, which is a main thoroughfare. There on the boulevard sat a two-foot tall snow fellow. My husband thought is was rather silly—until our daughter said she had made it the day before on her walk with the kids.  I think about how many folks saw that snow fellow and smiled, those employed or unemployed might have found a moment of delight. It’s that kind of thing that I think will become more prevalent.  Anyway, I hope it does.

P.S.

I know this started off with businesses folding and unemployment and ended in a different way. Yep. That’s the way life it. Always handing us a curve ball. Just when you think you know where you are going, you run into road construction.  (that’s another column, isn’t it?) Happy trails, no matter where life takes you.

Resources:

“The US Unemployment rate is higher than it looks—and is still high if all furloughed workers returned” by Jason Furman (PIIE) and Wilson Powell III (Harvard Kennedy School) June 5, 2020

“Jobless data show economic recovery still a long way off” By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press,   Mpls Star Tribune, October 23, 2020