A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke Last Thursday morning the brief, intense storm knocked the power out at my house. It was just long enough to set all the electronics beeping and shut down the internet. Then one of the toilets backed up. For a few all too brief minutes I felt like Pioneer Woman. After plunging the potty, I sat down with a cup of coffee. Just me and the pets looking at each other wondering what one does without internet. While the pets don’t actually use the internet, they appreciate the time I spend sitting at my desk because it means my lap and the space under the desk are available for a cuddly snooze. But it was not to be.  I decided to give myself some much needed downtime from my job and so some putter-y, random things around the house that I never seem to find time to do. I ran a couple loads of laundry - throw rugs and pillow covers of which I have far too many - dusted air vents, took a long look at the houseplants and gave them some over-due TLC. As I worked my way from plant to plant, I remembered how much mindless chores free me. Once I accepted that I couldn’t check my emails or do work-work, I settled down and tried to let all the stress from the last weeks and months go.  We have more than 30 pots of herbs, veggies and flowers on the patio and I tackled them after the houseplants. I realized that in some cases, where the pots look best isn’t always where they should be. Some needs lots of sun, some want shade, their needs are all different and I’d arranged them to look good and not, in every case, to meet their individual needs. As I started to pull them around I wondered if I should arrange them to look nice and sacrifice their health or arrange them to meet their health needs? Optics – the way things look – are important. But often not as important as need. This, I think, is true of society, too. The way things look matters but meeting the needs and addressing the reality of a thing, even if it looks bad, is more important. It bears keeping in mind. Jim and I took our granddaughter shopping (her newest favorite pastime now that it’s safer) last week. She is a toddler and so isn’t vaccinated against COVID-19 because she’s too young. She wears a mask whenever she gets to go shopping. We are fully vaccinated but we decided to put on masks to set a good example for Mildred. The looks we received, even one muttered comment, appalled me. There we were, grandpa and grandma out with the cutest kid in the world who was saying hi and waving to everyone she saw, and people were judging us. Did they have any idea why we were masked? Did they think for a moment that Mildred is too little be vaccinated but is still, especially with the Delta variant of COVID-19 lurking, at risk of getting coronavirus and passing it on? No. The majority of the people we saw weren’t very nice at all.  What about all the other people who are wearing masks? Do they get treated like lepers, too? There are any number of reasons to wear a mask these days, not the least of which is that far too many people refuse to get vaccinated to protect us all. Optics can be important, I get that. Apparently it looked like we weren’t vaccinated or were stupid or paranoid or whatever. But optics aren’t the most important thing in the world. We were simply being careful and trying to teach Mildred a lesson in doing what’s right, regardless of what other people may think.  We don’t know, we can never know, what other people are thinking. We shouldn’t assume that if something looks good, it is good. We can ask, we can discuss, we can research, we can learn. We need to be less judgmental and more open and maybe even mind our business more often. And I’m not just saying this because I was upset last week at the reception we received. I think every day our lives are so filled with so much junk that we forgot how to be understanding and kind and open to all the wonderful things our world has to offer.  I’ve got the begonias in the shade and the marigolds in the sun and if it doesn’t look the way I’d like it to at least they’re needs are being met. I will make a point of disconnecting more often and find a way to look beyond the optics. The Home News has early deadlines coming up again. This time because of the 4th of July holiday. All deadlines move up one business day making the deadline for news Friday, July 2, at 12 noon. The regular news deadline is 12 noon on Mondays.  Stay in touch. My number is 574-3159. Email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or write to me at the Home News, P.O. Box 39, Spring Green WI 53588.  Visit our website at homenewsrv.com for information about the Home News and our e-edition.  Get in touch with Gwen for sports or features at homenewssports@newspubinc.com. If you need a display ad, Dave Pronold can be reached at homenewssales@newspubinc.com or by calling him on his cell at 588-4777. Display ads, or ads that are in boxes, are due by 1 p.m. on Wednesdays. The classified ad deadline is noon Thursdays the week prior to publication for both the Buyer’s Guide and Home News. Classified rates are $13 for the first 10 words, then 30¢ per word for each additional word. Call (608) 767-3655 or email classifieds@newspubinc.com  Legal notices are due by 2 p.m. on Fridays, email them to legals@newspubinc.com Call the NewsPub central office at (608) 767-3655 for subscriptions and all other information Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, although afternoon hours can vary. Closed Fridays.