JUST THE PHOTOS, MA’AM

I can’t think about American politics right now. And if I can’t think about it, I can’t write about it. Kind of a reverse take on the old Cartesian saw: I can’t think. Therefore I can’t write.

I can’t think about the American political scene post-January 6, because the State of Affairs scares the crap out of me. So instead of conceptualizing possible nightmare scenarios, each more terrifying than the last—the zombie-like return of The Former Guy, blood flowing and tires burning in the streets, a skilled autocrat conning his/her way into the Oval.... Just can't think about it. So I say the Serenity Prayer instead, recovering political junkie that I am. And I stay on the lookout in my physical environs, iPhone in hand, on the hunt for the quirky, the cool, the weird, and whatever serendipity throws at me.

For my comrades in fear out there, here is the Serenity Prayer. As you chant, visualize GOP “leadership.”

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

Feeling wiser? Good. Now you can sit back and enjoy a few of the quirky, cool, beautiful, and weird things I encountered on walks in my neighborhood, like the Sasha Waltz dance troupe poster above. The title means "Holding together," as in pandemic.

Starting with the vegetal: