Whenever a string of mishaps and unfortunate events of daily living transpire, inevitably someone I know will say “Mercury must be in retrograde.” Considering the backward-moving appearance of Mercury that occurs a few times a year is merely an optical illusion, the science-nerd part of me tends to repeat that phrase more as a joke than anything else.

Earworm of the Day – “Everything is Broken” by Bob Dylan.

Broken lines, broken strings
Broken threads, broken springs
Broken idols, broken heads
People sleeping in broken beds

There’s no doubt these are stressful times. It feels like the entire world is on the edge of one big psychic meltdown. With all the Big Stuff to worry about, when the little stuff happens it sometimes feels as if it’s enough to just push you over.

Broken hands on broken ploughs
Broken treaties, broken vows
Broken pipes, broken tools
People bending broken rules

The little things for me began when we kept losing the WiFi network connection in the house – at first just brief and random, then suddenly it went out for days. Not having it be reliable has been a sobering realization as to how dependent (and also addicted) one can be to the internet.

My computer is also needing to be replaced. And the screen is cracked. I guess first you need the internet to be working. Then the computer. Perhaps one can notice a trend building here.

Ain’t no use jiving, ain’t no use joking
Everything is broken

Then the car decided to have big problems and has suddenly crossed the financial tipping point of repairing. So I’ve been searching for another car. Trying to find the right car has been a bit stressful. Every time I’ve been on the verge of committing to a certain car, an internal panic ensues and I don’t go through with it. Meanwhile, not having reliable wheels has been restrictive.

Broken bottles, broken plates
Broken switches, broken gates
Broken dishes, broken parts
Streets are filled with broken hearts

The annual hearing test revealed that I’ve lost some more hearing.

Broken words never meant to be spoken
Everything is broken

Up to this point, while those things have been annoying and stressful and potentially expensive, none of this is earth-shattering. These have been more a series of “WTF is Going On?” type events. I have friends and family going through life situations which can truly be described as awful and even devastating. Acknowledging that keeps things in perspective.

However, in the middle of all this, the dog picked up a bacterial infection and has been miserably, painfully, scarily sick. He lost a lot of weight, and is on four different medications. His recovery has been slow and his care suddenly labor-intensive. I have been worrying about him constantly. All the other stuff doesn’t matter, but to me, this matters a lot. Little Rudi. So little.

Broken bodies, broken bones
Broken voices on broken phones
Take a deep breath, feel like you’re choking
Everything is broken

For the grand finale of the week, I tripped going down the last four stairs and landed hard on my knees at the bottom. There was a surreal perception of falling in slow motion, while successfully managing not to spill my coffee or drop my phone or any of the other crap I was juggling in my arms. Some bruises and a scraped shin; thankfully, nothing worse than that. It was a seriously stupid move. You hear stories about this happening to Old People all the time, The Falling. During the next routine doctor appointment where they ask “Have you fallen in the last few…..?” I think I might lie, while realizing I have officially arrived into that senior classification.

Seem like every time you stop and turn around
Something else just hit the ground

Following some unceremonious curse words or two, I suddenly asked nobody (since I was alone), “Is Mercury in retrograde?” So there it is.

Actually, Mercury is not in retrograde – at least not for another three weeks. So it’s just stuff, and in the scheme of stuff it’s not so bad (except for the dog being sick). And as a matter of fact, while Mercury is still in the process of appearing to be moving forward, these small, wonderous, snippets of life happened:

A tree down the street has made feathers of crimson.

While foliage in autumn glory adorns the beauty of weathered wood.

Golden fans of Gingko leaves adorn the bluestone sidewalks.

On the way to the farmer’s market, I noticed the rubber snake that had been placed at the base of some bushes by the sidewalk last week (see Gems of October 10/25/24) has moved upward, now dangling from a tree overhead. I had to laugh…

On the walk back, a bagpiper was playing a moving tune in front of the church for a funeral. I stopped to respectfully listen.

While many trees have dropped their leaves, the Japanese Maples have ignited and are holding on.

Halloween evening from The Urban Porch was uncharacteristically filled with gentle, balmy breezes and a gorgeous sky palette.

Some neighbors chose not to participate this year.

While the usual suspects went all out. As in the past, this house will most likely continue to wear some of this adornment throughout the upcoming year. I admit I rather enjoy it.

This time around the only decoration I had was the skelly brought down from the attic. It has a switch that makes the eyes light up, so that was turned on, letting kids know there was candy available.

Sitting out there with my next door neighbor and our dogs, eating packets of M&M’s as the sunset provided a show, one could not help but feel serene in the moment.

The following day was also deliciously warm. Back out on The Urban Porch, soaking up the golden light of late afternoon, the sudden sound of brass and drumbeats filled the air, providing a front row seat to an unexpected high school homecoming parade.

The color guard was dancing in unison, convertible cars filled with teenagers cruised by, pickup trucks pulled floats of happy kids sitting on hay bales, waving and tossing candy.

I don’t know what it is about a parade, but as they marched by, the plumes on their headwear backlit and glowing in the slanting sun, I could not stop smiling and got a little choked up – even as far as feeling some tears well up.

There was something both nostalgic and innocent about it, allowing a brief respite where all the other heavy stuff in the world could be put on hold, if only for the moment. A gift. The afterglow lasted for hours.

Concurrently, it was also Diwali, the Festival of Lights, a celebration of light over darkness, which somehow feels fitting, and hopefully auspicious. So that night my neighbor and I went out to enjoy some Chana jalfrezi and a sweet dessert of cardamom spiced Gulab jamun in rose syrup.

While navigating the crap of this Not Retrograde (and any other retrograde that will be coming along), it seems like the best way to get through it is to try and maintain a sense of humor (even if it’s dark humor) and to find the light in the things around you.

Oh, and I took one of my grandkid’s squishy fidget toys and use it as a little stress ball. Every bit helps.

~*~

“Everything is Broken” – Bob Dylan, from the album Oh Mercy, 1989