There has been so much happening over the last months that it’s hard to piece it all together. The world’s health was at a precipice; the country’s moral compass was not heading true north. Those things will hopefully be worked out, they have to if we are all to live together with each other. My thoughts run to the more mundane today, and perhaps this thought has occurred to you, too, during the quarantine. Allow me to set the stage.

One of the mysteries of the pandemic has been the

 This pandemic has brought us all together in ways we would never have imagined! In addition to appreciating all our healthcare workers and everyday people in our lives, we have become connected to each other “virtually,” in many cases through the application called Zoom.

I was first introduced to Zoom through a west coast Silicon Valley client a few years back as a way to work virtually with a team that was spread out geographically. I remembered trying to use technologies like this at the

 As the greatest generation continues to ebb away from us, we confront the enemy of our time and it is silent, it is invisible, and it’s everywhere, but it is not undefeatable. Yes, many are falling victim, many paying the ultimate price, but so many are displaying courage and heroism simply by doing their everyday jobs. The doctors and nurses and medical staffs are nothing short of angelic in their determination and commitment. But so are the restaurant owners serving takeout and the delivery

 Everyone has a story about how this pandemic has affected them. Many are sad, but some are so absurd that the only thing you can do is laugh. As things have begun to loosen up around here, I’ve become more aware of these absurdities. Because of the three-person limit at Ace Hardware, the line stretched out down the block and it was impossible to get in. I love Ace Hardware, I love the people that work there, I love the little discounts you get in the mail, they always have what you need. But

 I want to go back to life like it was, is that naïve? I don’t think I’m alone. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, and I don’t want people to get sick or worse: and, I believe everything we are doing is saving lives, but I am afraid we may never be the same again, at least for a long time, and that gets me remembering what I love about New York and Rockaway.

I love New York City. I love going to some out-of-the way place that has been hiding in plain sight forever, and discovering

 It’s at least week three of this madness, and we are all beginning to fray around the edges a bit. But there are rays of sunshine and hope, like all the great Facebook and Instagram posts with everyday people exhibiting tremendous creativity and kindness. I saw one recently where the residents of East 72nd Street in Manhattan give an ovation each night from their windows to the healthcare workers leaving their shifts and heading home from the many East Side hospitals. How about the everyday