One of the things I have tried to do over the last ten months is to resist the urge to go negative. Sometimes I even strive to avoid serious or grave concerns. It’s not because I am devoid of opinions or afraid to write my mind, so to speak(?), but I concluded that dwelling on the negative or the serious isn’t really doing me any good at all.

Let’s face it. If it isn’t doing me any good at all, it can hardly benefit the four people who regularly read The Newell Post.

Actually, there are more than four of you out there. In fact, there are several Chinese reading from China. Perhaps being on lockdown, they welcome the diversions I offer? I used to have a following in Ukraine, and I notice the French are getting into my act this morning.

It would be nice to know that these foreign readers enjoy my writing rather than viewed as a viable hacking entry to America, but I guess I will never know.

So, it is October 27th, and it promises to reach ninety degrees in Bradenton, and I see that there will be areas just north of NYC that may get a flurry or two at the end of the week. When I was still in NY, I would be hooting and hollering about the warm sunny skies of Florida while Old Man Winter was rearing his frigid head on my doorstep. But now I envy my northern family and friends who will soon greet the first year’s snowfall.

The lesson learned is that you better be happy where and who you are because any radical change may not be what the doctor ordered.

COVID has been grave enough to keep us negative, but we have to persevere and get through the next few months with the hope that an end will come in the new year. It won’t come soon enough, of course, but when it does come, how will you react?

I won’t waste my time. I’ll tell you.

I won’t pay attention to haters of any kind. I will, in fact, hug all my family and friends often and without warning. There will be baseball games and visits to The Bronx, and Zoom will be an adjective on my speed to see you all.

There will be a little boy who will get to know is Nana and Pop, and my children’s dogs, Rudy and Scout, will have carte blanche to lick us and climb into bed with us as often as they deem sufficient.

At different times during those days, I will step out of myself and fully view what is going on and marvel at God’s glory. The family, the friends, the simple acts of enjoying our company. The beer will be cold. The hot dogs will be resplendent with mustard and sauerkraut, and the odd hot Italian sausage will be fully savored.

We will talk about 2021’s holidays. We will plan 2021’s vacations. We will over plan and overdo, but it will be spectacular.

It will, indeed, be spectacular.