Day 624 March 18, 2022

Long Day

In the late pandemic, things became more expensive. The rise in cost was rooted in the most basic laws of capitalism; supply, and demand, and profit. At first, it was a mere inconvenience, a shortage of toilet paper, frozen strawberries, N95 masks. But then, all the things people desired to fill their days became stuck in shipping containers, or delayed by factory closings. Bicycles and guitars, rose in price, as did houses and cars. Even used bicycles, guitars, and cars have risen in price dramatically. 

In the late pandemic, mask mandates were lifted as rates of infection fell. People wore masks when they wanted to. I still carried a mask in my right jacket pocket. When it became musty, I cut the elastic ear loops and threw it in the trash. I had imagined making an art project with all the varieties of lost and discarded masks I saw on the sidewalks, but I never wanted to touch them.

In the late pandemic, people started playing music together again. There were new venues. I was mostly ineffective at securing gigs. I was too tired, too old, too lazy, too old fashioned to understand what I needed to do.

In the late pandemic, we ate pesto made two years ago. I contemplated therapy and drank a nightly glass of juice. I allowed my self bags of Doritos. 

In the late pandemic, a laundry basket of clean and folded clothes sat in the living room for over a week, waiting to be carried upstairs.