“Written in Early Spring” by William Wordsworth (1770–1850)

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  I HEARD a thousand blended notes   While in a grove I sate reclined,  In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts  Bring sad thoughts to the mind.  To her fair works did Nature link  The human soul that through me ran;  And much it grieved my heart to think  What Man has made of Man.  Through primrose tufts, in that sweet bower,  The periwinkle trail’d its wreaths;  And ’tis my faith that every flower  Enjoys the air it breathes.  The birds around me hopp’d and play’d,  Their thoughts I cannot measure,—  But the least motion which they made  It seem’d a thrill of pleasure.  The budding twigs spread out their fan  To catch the breezy air;  And I must think, do all I can,  That there was pleasure there.  If this belief from heaven be sent,  If such be Nature’s holy plan,  Have I not reason to lament  What Man has made of Man?

Shopping

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 The heaviest of the shopping season is over. It’s just not the same as it used to be, shopping. I can’t speak for this year, but last year and the year before, online shopping increased so much during the holiday season that UPS, USPS and Amazon rented every 26 foot lift gate truck they could find from UHaul, Budget and Penske starting in October and ending the February. Independent contractors had nothing to drive in that period and woe to the normal Joe who had to move his family, especially military families. 

I’m partially to blame. I don’t do much shopping apart from grocery shopping, but when I get a gift card, I go online. I couldn’t tell you which stores carry things I might buy, but I can find them online! Grocery shopping has changed too—just shop online! Have someone else get your stuff and go to the store and pick it up— shoot, just have it delivered! It’s nice in a pinch, but this has become a way of life for some people. I’m some parts of the world, you can only buy meat on Tuesday—and it’s still standing. 


Nearly every night someone asks me which nearby restaurants deliver. Except for pizza, none of them. But with Doordash and Uber Eats, everyone delivers! A coffee or soda for delivery from the restaurant next door? For crying out loud!


Work from home and shop online. What next?




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