This is an opinion blog. It represents only my opinion and not that of way2age. 

I'm concerned about America.  Are you? Conspiracy beliefs are on the rise. Politicians have reached a new low in failing to tell the truth.  States controlled by one party are rolling back voting rights which will impact people of color and older Americans.  Like you, I care deeply about this country. Without voting rights for all and a commitment to the principles of democracy our country could quickly turn into something we never imagined and we're perilously close to that reality.

How did this happen? In the beginning it was a gradual process. For many years there were few sources of media and the local paper or local news delivered the consensual facts of community. We held different points of view on those facts but we shared their reality. We shared the same facts, the same news. Back then we also shared more space with one another, met one another in public spaces, and often knew each other by name. We had relationships with neighbors. Now we may not even know their names. Today 90% of the news is owned by 6 corporations. As media conglomerated it began to grow more slanted/less objective and politicized. Up until recently however, most television media weeded out false information and broadcast facts that could be corroborated.  The 1969 moon landing is an example. Here was an event no one on earth witnessed first hand and yet all news stations agreed it happened. They showed it happening. When astronauts landed we saw their capsule splash down and heard their testimony. We could research the event. It was a fact. We could corroborate it several ways. Yet conspiracy theories about that moon landing persist among roughly 5% of Americans. That one small step for man, according to some, was a giant deceit against mankind. The conspiracy, launched by a single skeptic, was propelled by movies, investigative television, and the cultural climate of change and uncertainty then-- a climate not too unlike what we have today. In the 90's  the dawn of "reality" television helped to blur the lines between fact and fiction by contriving, in some cases, situations that were then presented as spontaneous and real. 

 

Whew, 2020 is over. 

You may have tuned into January 2020 in the middle of the President's Impeachment Trial. You'll recall that The House of Representatives Impeached Donald Trump in December 2019 and sent those articles of Impeachment to the Senate for a vote in January. However, before the Republican led Senate could vote to acquit the President a shock jolted America. 42 yr old basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his young daughter Gina were killed in a fiery helicopter crash.  Anyone following the story was reminded that life is short and nothing insulates us from tragedy. That insight would have relevance all the way through the troubled events to come in 2020. And, yet, this is America so even in this challenging year there were breakthroughs, advances and reasons for hope.

Inflammation is by nature a healer that protects us when we're injured or infected but it can also become chronic. Chronic inflammation is a quiet disrupter in our bodies linked to heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, cancers, dementias and many other health concerns. In fact you may be surprised to know that chronic inflammation is a factor in 50% of deaths in the US and around the world.  Fortunately your diet can help. We know a wide range of foods that combat inflammation and, on the flip side, have identified foods commonly eaten that cause inflammation. You can fight inflammation before it triggers disease. Set your winter tables with anti inflammatory foods and enjoy healthier living and delicious feasts!

Mayors and Governors of most states are beckoning us now to come out, come out. Cautiously we're getting a haircut once more, going to the doctor again and perhaps eating in restaurants as before. The intrepid ones are enjoying gatherings or celebrating with groups of friends. Of course, some of you provide "essential" services and never stopped going out. You held the economy up and provided groceries and medicine for us all. Thank you. I hope you're staying safe. Sooner or later we knew the moment would come when the quarantine would ease or end. Yet unlike the Munchkins, who emerged to the urging of Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, to find that the Wicked Witch of the East was dead, our Wicked Corona virus can't be killed by a falling house, a bucket of water, or magical thinking. So, how will we ever get back to Kansas?

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