More dispatches from the working from home front, many of which might actually even be related to working from home:
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Remember when we used to get to this point on the calendar and say, wistfully, "This year is more than half over!" like we didn't want to it be? Yeah, that was quaint.
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Actually, I had pretty high hopes for this Fourth of July. On my personal scale, seasons can end right after somewhat significant events and we can all move on to the next thing. So, winter can be over right after Christmas and we move to spring. And summer can be over right after July 4th and we move to fall.
Since I really don't have an idea what comes next, and since I'm seeing it all from my house, the four seasons have become just two – sick or not sick. Thankfully, my family and I have all stayed in the "not sick" camp, but all this has certainly narrowed our vision. And I really don't want to move on to "next" from where we are.
I realize there isn't much point in considering what we wanted to do in the "Before Times," but I do have to say this particular Fourth was going to be pretty impressive. Since it was on a Saturday, it was going to be non-stop with fireworks, a house at the lake, boats, the whole deal.
Now? Well, I think I have some leftover sparklers. And "Hamilton" will be streaming on the new Disney channel. I mean, yeah ...
Also, when you're an introvert working for a large corporation, one of the things you really like about holidays is that people tend to use them as an opportunity to go on vacation. Lots of people. Like, most of the people. Some would consider this a bug, while I personally considered great parking, no meetings and short lines at, well, everything a feature.
These days, however, it's sort of hard to get excited about a lot of out-of-office replies when, basically, everyone is out of office. Like when, at a younger age, you first went out on your own and got excited because you could eat whatever you wanted for any meal and then figured out all you could afford was ramen.
OK, I get it. Things are just different these days. And lots of people have a lot more to worry about than not being able to scoot around the lake on a boat for a few days. I mean, I'll take one for the team here. But if I can't get out of the house by Christmas, I'm going to be upset.
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There probably are people in the world who love sports more than I do. I mean, I don't have any tattoos, much less those commemorating Super Bowls. So, it's those people and then me.
And no one has missed sports on television more than me. At least no one without a major gambling problem. I mean, at one point I found myself watching the fishing channel. Let's be clear: I was watching someone else fish. Which is sort of like watching someone else nap.
So the idea we would go, potentially, through the rest of the year without any sports to watch has me contemplating if life really has any meaning at all. What's the point if there is no point spread?
But as we read reports of more and more players on college football teams testing positive for covid-19 while at camp, I can't help but feel like someone in the stands at a gladiator match. And I'm not ready to starting giving the thumbs up-thumbs down just so I won't have to watch "Catfish Madness." Which I don't think even exists.
Thank goodness for golf, the ultimate social distancing sport. I mean, the way I hit it, I'm usually a really, really long way from other people. And the fairway. One more thing that used to be a bug but is now a feature.
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And finally, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson always seemed like a decent man trying to do the right thing, especially during the pandemic.
And his decision that Arkansans can request an absentee ballot this year if they are concerned about the coronavirus leads me to believe that we elected him to look after the best interests of the state and all its citizens, and, son of a gun if he isn't actually doing just that.
A lot of our other elected officials could take a lesson.
Gary Smith is a recovering journalist living in Rogers.