Stream of Consciousness

 The following is a letter to the moon, an unfinished stream of consciousness. 

March 25, 2024

Dear Luna, Hello dear friend. How are you? I hope you’ve been well. How is Sally? Please give her my love.

Things are crazy here Luna. War has broken out in another country on the Earth. Countless innocent people, men, women, and children, have been slaughtered. Famine and other insidious horrors of war continue to spread. 

One cannot comprehend the devastation, the desperation for peace. Hundreds have been taken hostage. Their loved ones live in agony as they await their safe return, or any information on their whereabouts or wellbeing. 

The terror of those stuck in the situation is a constant presence. Numerous human rights have been violated. One American soldier serving in the area set him self on fire, protesting the acts being perpetrated. I cannot fathom the horror and devastation occurring on a daily basis. 

Acts of terror are happening on a daily basis. In recent days, around 100 people were murdered in a concert hall; another 100 were injured in the attack. 

In the U.S., acts of hatred and violence are spiking in activity. Mass shootings continue to happen at an alarming rate. Last week there was a mass shooting in a bar in my town, about thirty minutes away from where I live. Five people were injured in the shooting, one of whom passed away from their injuries. The shooting didn’t even make the national news. 

With all the madness in the world today, it fills my head with a torrent of thoughts. I often turn to music in my life. I find myself returning to one song in recent days, “Land of Confusion” by Genesis. The empassioned performance of lead singer Phil Collins conveys a madness and urgency. The words of the chorus resonate in my mind….

“There’s too many men, too many people making too many problems

And not much love to go round…..”

Another line echoes in my mind….

“Superman where are you now?!?”

If only there were a superhero that could come to save us from ourselves.

I’ve stopped watching the 10pm news every night. I cannot take in such negativity and hatred before I go to bed. 

In recent weeks I’ve been doing guided meditations before bed. It helps me decompress and let go of the day that has been, and prepare for sleep. It’s done wonders for me and for my quality of sleep. 

I recently watched the movie “Oppenheimer”, about the man they call the father of the atomic bomb. In truth, I feel it’s a miracle the world is still here. 

I don’t know what the future holds for my country, for the world. I pray for normalcy, whatever that means. The pandemic has changed the world forever, changed us forever. We’re living in a new normal. In the early days of the pandemic, the future was uncertain. Many of us wondered if we would survive. Now we wonder if the world will survive. I pray to God that it does. I pray to the Lord, to the angels, to the universe, that we do.