Letter to the Editor: In Praise of Spontaneity
A poem by Burlington resident, retired librarian, and language instructor, Ruth Rin
Post-Covid days, new difficulties:
Much unease, economic uncertainties.
Military and ideological wars.
Will Social Security, Medicare endure?
What to do with this malaise?
In this chaos, we are all fazed.
Some fill schedules as antidote.
This helps folks to keep afloat.
People lost in their âsmartâ phone world -
Theyâve forgotten to use the spoken word.
Abandoning all forms of spontaneity,
Behavior morphs into homogeneity.
For group gatherings video-calls play a part.
They bring together those spatially apart.
For topical discussions, they are adept,
But are no replacement for a tĂȘte-Ă -tĂȘte!
Where is the spontaneity of days long past?
You picked up the phone to have a real chat.
No! Today you must text, email, fill an application,
Arrange a âconvenientâ time for conversation!
And when the phone does buzz unexpected,
Into your life, a robo-callâs interjected!
Gone are those days when you found camaraderie
With no excessive forethought mandatory!
You walked to a friendâs house, knocked on the door,
And together, on the fly, went out for a stroll!
Modern busy-ness brings isolation.
Spontaneity is missing in action!
If only we could slow our pace,
Allow for days with empty space,
Not every hour premeditated.
Let in serendipity and the unexpected!
By Ruth Rin, Retired librarian, language instructor, Burlington resident
