Mythos & Marginalia

life notes; flaws and all

j.g. lewis

original content and images ©j.g. lewis

a daily breath...

A thought du jour, my daily breath includes collected and conceived observations, questions of life, fortune cookie philosophies, reminders, messages of peace and simplicity, unsolicited advice, inspirations, quotes and words that got me thinking. They may get you thinking too . . .

cloud songs

    Kismet, naturally or unexpectedly,
holds sway on this or any other day.
       If we choose to notice.
       If we permit ourselves to linger
a moment or three in a transitive state 
between elements of darkness and bright, 
           morning quells emotions and
   disruptive thoughts we once embraced.

03/26/2024                                                                                     j.g.l.

Mondays are just young Fridays

Dented, bruised, scuffed up and circumstantial, the imperfections are obvious.
   It goes past superficial.
   Seeking more than a cover-up, healing is necessary.
   Hope is less than present but needed, so I try to do what I need to do. Each attempt to repair the damage that is done — the day-in-day out flaws that have become ingrained in my psyche — is another step.
   It takes effort. It takes encouragement, and it takes understanding even if I can’t completely comprehend the history that led up to the marks on the façade.
   I need to do the work.
   At times trying is the best I can do when I know I want to do better.

03/25/2024                                                                                                  j.g.l.

the weather still

‘When’ is a question greater than ‘why’.
   Important it is to know ‘when’ something will happen, rather than ‘what’ or ‘where’, because ‘when’ always involves a wait (that’s ‘when’ the ‘why’ kicks in).
   Our patience is tested.
   ‘When will we get there’ or ‘when is it time’? Both questions of our youth, at least, questions of mine.
   Spring has arrived, but ‘when’ will it come? The weather still indicates winter is hardly done.
   How can we wait, or ‘why’ is it we must? You might only find the answers ‘when’ you are ready to trust.

© 2022 j.g. lewis

I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.

j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.

Follow on social media

Keep in touch

Enter your email to receive notification of significant posts. Don't worry, I won't clog up your inbox or sell your data

Incomprehensible

Posted on March 13, 2020 by j.g.lewis Leave a comment

I read yesterday — in a Facebook post from someone I respect for the fresh and solidifying presence she brings to my news feed — comments likening the current COVID-19 coronavirus to AIDS.

Fear was the thread running through her opinion piece, and the need compassion was her premise, but in passing on her thoughts she was contributing to the misinformation that perpetuates the spread of unreasonable and incomprehensible actions.

The writer correctly identified that each of us is at risk for coronavirus COVID-19, and further that many of us are scared. But her assumption that we are as scared as those who live (or lived) with HIV or AIDS is as damaging as it is disrespectful.

HIV/AIDS is nothing like COVID-19. The human immunodeficiency virus which leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is blood borne while COVID-19 is airborne.

HIV is an infection caused by contact with blood, pre-ejaculate semen and vaginal fluids. Coronavirus spreads in a manner similar to influenza; by respiratory droplets from coughing settling on skin, office building doorknobs and subway straps.

You can get the coronavirus from a handshake. It can take a more intimate (and perhaps careless) encounter to become infected with HIV.

Of course my explanation is an over-simplification, but the reality is there. In the 80s this woman refers to in her Facebook post, HIV was surely a death sentence. Coronavirus, in 2020, is not even close. Yes, the global death rate increases daily, but COVID-19 is a virus you can recover from. In fact, many of the original cases of the coronavirus we currently fear have since recovered from the infection.

Yes we need compassion, as this woman clearly states, but we also need sound minds to prevail. We need to wash our hands. We need to isolate ourselves if we are feeling poorly. We need to keep our distance from people, and we need to follow sound advice from medical professionals

What we don’t need is loose talk, which will further confuse an already concerned population. Misinformation breeds fear, and there is already too much of that going around; both fear and misinformation.

03/13/2020                                           j.g.l.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

-->