Suspension of Disbelief

I am, for the uninitiated, what was generally termed during the latter half of 90s as "a hater". I never saw it as such. I just viewed the world through finer filter and had less tolerance for the average and below.

In my increasing old age and having had many chances to display my own shortcomings, I may have softened somewhat.

I originally intended that a "but" would come here, but mentioned savvy and resolution leaves me in the mood to forgo it...

It still fairly rare that works of fiction impress me enough to pull me out of guessing what will come next.

I am currently reading the Walking Dead series. I've been trying to catch up in the books to where the TV series currently is. I've just done that, as I am about halway through vol. 6.

The protagonists have escaped a major plot complication... I turn the page and - there it is - a moment that causes me to go literally agog and utter a WTF after a moment.

In the theater we strive for this as actors and to pull the audience in to experience the same.

I feel like I am experiencing this more...but maybe I am just more open to it after having had my ass handed to me for the past year.

There's a lot said and unsaid in that statement.

I should explain it.

But I really want to finish this book. I'm a bad blogger. I know. I'll come back to it later. Promise.

For now - let's go back to figuring what in the world has happened.

The degree to which

my respiratory stamina has deteriorated is astounding.

I wondered for a hot second

today or yesterday about whether there were any seniors in the building that needed checking on that I know. I believe this was at the behest of some mention of ol' folk who might need help after the storm.

There are many seniors in the building, but only a couple I come across.

But it did not occur to me in that moment that there are 3 on my floor.

One elderly couple lives right across from me. The other elderlady is down the hall. I know her best, though I have never taken time to introduce myself. She lives by herself and relies on an electric scooter to get around. I've always assumed she's diabetic.

At this moment she is presumably being taken to a care unit of some sort by emergency services. She is talking and it doesn't seem to be an emergency, I am glad that is the case.

The people next door have loud rambunctuous children. The noise, shakes, bangs and bumps they produce get to me...I allow them to get to me.

I allow myself to become self-conscious and self-centered,