MEEKER | Ever since a hometown boy posted a photo of both covers of my picture books on his Facebook page with the words “Look what I get to read tonight,” for his toddler son’s nightly read aloud bedtime story, I think of all things I get to do. I have to admit that I took this as a compliment as many parents find reading the same books over and over tedious. But I also took that attitude of gratitude to my own life.
During these long months of staying home, when I got bored I made a mental list of all the things I get to do. And now with this pandemic surging, things I am still grateful to be able to do occupy my mind rather than all the negativity continuing to surge around us. The two that stand out are: I still get to voice my opinion and I still get to choose how to use my time.
Years ago I became friends with a woman visiting Meeker from the Czech Republic. She grew up under the restrictions of communism and later compared our freedoms of democracy to all of the restrictions imposed by the occupiers.
Her take on what she termed “our complacency” annoyed me sometimes. I never felt we took our freedoms for granted. The simple restrictions of masking and social distancing to save a life haven’t felt like losing a freedom to me. Harming others was not something that ever fit my personal “Things I Get To Do” list. We all may look at our future differently, but I don’t believe convincing ourselves that the things we must do for all of us are harmful to our individual rights and freedoms. Changing our group outlook to an “I Get To” outlook is essential for all of us.
Special to the Herald Times
