Dozens of wildfires all over our state right now, none completely under control, blackening a staggering 5,000 square miles. 

The biggest negative for most, surprisingly, is mental health. These West Coast fires are mostly in remote parts with few inhabitants, few homes. (Exception: in remote Butte County California, just this week, the tragedy of a dozen or more who lost their lives.) 

The situation is unexpectedly depressing, piled on top of other existing news: The killer Coronavirus that just won’t go away and the related health (& budgetary) expense for both teachers and schools, plus the isolation it causes from friends and most relatives,  the depressed economy and unemployment both real and anticipated, the instability and deadlocks in our national government, virtual schooling forcing a parent to stay home and not work, the drought, our troubled foreign policy, foreign governments known to meddle in our upcoming election, and the uncertainty about the future resultant from the multiple distresses. Then too the officially “unhealthy” smoky air over so many of our cities day after day.

All these negatives will be weighing on the citizenry even after long-overdue Nov. rains wipe out the fires—just consider the kids locked out of classrooms for six or more months, with brains ill-equipped to catch up. 

Nonetheless my conviction is, after all these trials pass, we will all emerge stronger and more resilient than ever. Particularly, once schools are all running, the economy picks up, performing arts resume and the pandemic is brought under control.

Only we’re not in Nirvana any more, Toto.