“I Can Feel It Comin’ In The Air Tonight, Oh Lawd.” Can You?

Full Disclosure. Unlike most of my stuff, this is not an inherently political article. If you’re tuning in looking for a cavalcade of political sarcasm, check back withy me tomorrow, I’ll be back to my usual cynical self. But this is on a cheerier note. I have both seen and felt a very subtle change in the last few days, and finally decided to share what I’ve found.

Most of you probably know that I got my first Moderna stab 2 1/2 weeks ago. I get my second one a week from Friday, and Teri gets her second one the week after that. For those of you who have yet to start your Covid vaccine journey, please do so as quickly as possible, and you’ll find out what I’m talking about. For those of you who have also had at least your first injection, then you already know the incredible peace of mind that occurs 14 days after your first stab, when you realize that it is now almost impossible to die from this dread virus.

But this article isn’t about my peace of mind, or Teri’s. You all know that we live in Sin City, and the last week or so, we’ve been out and about a bit more, flexing our wings and feeling a bit less vulnerable. And if you’re in our position, and you pay attention, you’ll note that there are more and more people out there that feel the same way.

For instance. Today we were in one of our local places to play a few bucks. Our cocktail server, with whom we are both friendly, brought over our brewski’s. We were talking about having had our first shots, and she allowed that she had just had her second shot the week before. We joked around about how we could all relax, as we were now safe around each other. We all felt like a million bucks in shiny new ones.

From there we stopped in our local Smiths, in the same parking lot. At checkout, while all properly masked, our check out clerk stood well within a 6′ zone, and we chatted pleasantly for a minute or two. And on the way out the door, three different employees, just moving about, said Hi!, or thanked us for stopping in. A couple of days ago, at the same Smiths, a masked woman on her way out with her cart, stopped, laughed out loud, and told me that my t-shirt was hilarious.

My dear friends, try it for yourself. When you go out, you don’t have to say or do anything, just take a look at the people around you in public. As more people get their first vaccines, I guarantee you, there is a sense of peace and protection that comes over you. People on the street and in stores are spending more time looking around and forward, and not just down. They’ll smile at you from behind their mask, and say Hi!. They no longer have the feeling that you can literally kill them with a sneeze. They are just more naturally looser and more at ease.

We can thank President Joe Biden for this revival of the American soul. Unlike Trump, for whom political power was a cheap grift, Biden already knew the levers and buttons of power when he entered the Oval Office, And Biden pushed those buttons, and he pulled those levers to unleash the might of the entire US government to get this goddamn virus under control. And now we’re all enjoying the fruits of those labors.

But from where I’M sitting, there is something else at work here as well. With El Pendejo Presidente, it was AHATT, All Hate All The Time. Trump’s sole goal was to take his loyal minority, and fuel them on white grievance, injustice, and bullshit to set them against all other Americans. His whole agenda was to keep as much of the country at each others throats as possible.

With Biden, it’s AKATT, All Kumbaya All The Time. In every public utterance, Biden strictly avoids referring to himself with credit for anything, preferring to cheerlead the American people. And he refers to the people only as The American People, trying to unite them to deal with the tasks ahead. And with the social media and major network blackout of Glorious Bleater, I believe it’s working.

Without the constant drumbeat of have and exclusion coming from Trump, disaffected Democrats, out of touch soft GOP voters, and disaffected independents have watched what’s going on, listened to Biden, and decided that they like what they’re seeing. Biden’s popularity is high, and people approve of his Covid relief package, and his infrastructure program. The rabid Trump base base was always a small minority, and as people begin to look forward to a normal life again, and the economy shows signs of accelerating, they see no reason to rock the boat.

DO, go ahead. Especially if you’ve had at least your first stab, go outside. Just walk around and take it in. And you’ll find that more and more people are starting to feel that there is a real reason to be confident again, and that we may all be going to concerts and sporting events again soon. After the last 17 months, you’ve earned the chance to at least start to feel normal again.

Follow me on Twitter at @RealMurfster35