Life Will Find A Way

Remember that quote from Jurassic Park? There is a peculiar arrogance prevalent these days - for centuries, really - that insists that we humans have some control over nature. Proof that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

"It's just a flu." "It's harmless to my age group." "It's my risk to take." "It's political." "I can't feel it so I'm not contagious." Oh, and never forget the idea that technology will solve all problems and the earth is in no way overpopulated with humans.

Let's start with that last one. Overcrowding in any kind of population invariably leads to illness. Or predation. Nature will balance things out. More rodents means more well fed predators, means fewer rodents, means fewer predators, means more rodents, etc. Crowd mice in a cage and they start eating each other. Crowd farm animals together and it's easier for contagion to spread. Use antibiotics to "prevent" contagion and the bacteria will evolve resistance. Super-bugs emerge.

It doesn't all happen on our timetable. It may be slow or speedy. But it will happen.

Our planet is overcrowded by humans. We pollute our way across the planet, thinking me, me, me, and ours, ours, ours. We are owed something, somehow. We have the technology to end pollution, to restrain population, but too many of us don't / won't do it. We are too entitled, too impatient. Sometimes too religiously justified. Somebody else can do what is needed so we don't have to.

Somebody else does. do it Or something else does. Weather / climate changes provide famines, floods, and other disasters to kill us off. Still too much crowding? The miniature world of microbes takes advantage, changing, spreading, jumping species. And we cooperate by refusing to be inconvenienced.

Life will find a way. Part of that way is restoring balance. Death, therefore, will also find a way. The more self-entitled we are, the more arrogant we are, the more ignorant we insist on being, the more surely it will.

Accepting that, does this mean I'm any less pissed of at those hoards of fellow (American!)  humans who refuse to wear masks, insist on partying in great clusters, and wind up keeping me in my house? Of course not!

We've  (USA) passed 3 million cases of covid 19, setting records with new daily cases every day. This country is worst in the world, Arizona is 8th worst in total cases to date in U.S. states, but #1 adjusted for population size vs, the world, and this county is worst in our state. Our hospitals are reaching their breaking point because some out there insist on "owning the libs" by ignoring everything "liberal" New York learned a couple months ago in how to prevent the virus from spreading. Even those of us who stay home, wear masks when we must be out, and follow all those other guidelines, are affected because the Covidiots rule.

So yes, I'm pissed as hell. We, in this household, can maintain this new (ab)normal. Unless.... Stuff happens. Rich is proof of that, fighting an infection without a known origin and difficult to treat, but requiring surgery and follow-up medical appointments. If it had happened a couple weeks from now, would there have been hospital space available for him? He takes the risk of returning to the hospital today because that's where his surgeon's office is, and it's recheck day. Will he return as healthy as when he left?

I can understand nature's rhythms and consequences, and still be human enough to want to fight when they are aimed at me. I have a much harder time understanding those who don't or won't get it. Life - and death - will find a way. If only they'd take out the Covidiots first!

Sigh....