Opinion

Politics... one of the most important topics I avoid while conversing with friends and acquaintances, particularly if we have different political views. If you ask me what my political affiliation is, chances are I will not tell you. Not out of disrespect, but because I won’t allow myself to fall victim to the political bashing that is so common, especially with today’s political situation. I have witnessed too many conversations between friends end with one (or both) sides belittling the other for the opinions and beliefs they hold. I value my peace and happiness, so if it helps me keep both those intact, I will steer clear from this subject matter.

A friend stopped by my office and brought me some homemade dark chocolate fudge with coconut and honey. Hmmm, so good. Her gesture made me think about the love my Olney friends have expressed to me since I’ve been here. I can’t name everyone who has lifted my spirits, but you all know who you are. My friends come through when I need them the most—especially when I was sick with “the illness that shall not be named.” Thinking about their expressions of love made me think about John Mayer’s song “Love is a Verb.” While many of us believe that when we tell people “we love them,” our words qualify as an expression of love. However, we can’t truly express our love by saying, “I love you.” Instead, we define our love by what we do.

The 55th Super Bowl is upon us as it will be played in just a few days between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But this Super Bowl feels different because it brings me back the last year’s Super Bowl--which seemed to be the last massive sporting event before Covid-19 hit the United States. It feels so long ago that we are all able to sit in crowded seats next to each other without masks on, watching a sporting event. One year later, the crowd will look very different come Sunday night, as the Super Bowl will only have 22,000 fans in attendance this year, while 100,000 plus were in attendance last year. But the best part about this to me, is that the NFL has invited 7,500 vaccinated health care workers to be in attendance for free. This is such an incredible story-- for the NFL to honor our health care workers, the true heroes of the pandemic that are working tirelessly to make sure that we are taken care of. For the better part of almost a year, many of our health care workers have put their lives on hold in the wake of Covid-19. And all though a small gesture, it is amazing to see our health care workers be recognized.