Ned Luce

This may be the time for one of those big inflection points in your life like marriage, divorce, or kids. 

This may be one of those times when you can make decisions that are good for you, your family, your community, your nation and your world. 

How about all that?

I think our ability to get along with each other irrespective of the politics may be improving. Our values are not being eroded much, just the volcanic reactions to the expression of those values. It could be that we have a President who doesn’t blame everybody else for his mistakes although he may spend a little more time than required blaming his predecessor. It could be that we had a jury convincingly convict a man of committing murder, even though it may have taken a bystander’s video of the crime to make it happen. 

In addition, we may just be exhausted! 

Whatever, the optimists like me hold hope that the trend line can continue.

At the risk of being perceived as “preachy” or “judgy” or whatever other qualifier currently in use by folks in their 20s and 30s to describe unwelcome advice to others, I do offer up the following encouragement to those special folks resisting getting ewa vaccine shot: 

The latest rationale I heard for not getting one is the fear of blood clotting and subsequent death. You would have to be pretty special to experience that. Almost approximately 1 in 500 citizens have died from COVID-19. The odds of dying from the vaccine are estimated at 1 in 500,000. 

It doesn’t take a math major to figure the safest course for you. 

Widespread vaccinations create a safer community. So, you are special and unique, just like the rest of us. You have never had a flu shot or you have a fear of blood clotting or the vaccine contains a secret government microchip or you are afraid of shots. Come on, get a shot or find a valid excuse!

As spring progresses we are witnessing more examples of returning to normal. Even though the Rhody Festival has been canceled for this year, the Sunrise Rotary Club has decided to return to the fresh air and silliness of actually staging the annual Running of the Balls. 

Last year the club had to just draw the numbered winning stubs from the tickets sold out of the big portable tumbler. This year, on May 15, the third Saturday in May, they will return to dumping a couple thousand numbered golf balls from a mechanical starting gate at the top of Monroe Street.

The balls will roll down to a catch gate at the bottom, as spectators help by capturing the wildly bouncing escapee balls and return them to the track. It’s a legal registered lottery, and the winning balls get $2,000, $500 and $250. Check out the club website at ptsunriserotary.org, under the caption “Club Events” for a short video of a past event and then order your ticket for $5 each, or a book of five for $20. 

In another Rotary attempt to normalize life, the East Jefferson Rotary Club is conducting their annual rose sale. You will see the COVID-inspired process is different but the result is the same! You have a spouse or other loved one or just a friend who deserves at least one dozen roses this spring. Buy some roses and help beautify the environment. 

The club uses the funds raised through rose sales for local scholarships, community projects or international projects. You need to order roses by May 3. This year you can get roses colored red, pink, white, red, purple, and orange. (Purple and orange?) Contact your favorite Rotarian or me!

And now a final word from Dale Carnegie, “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain. Most do.”

Love a curmudgeon, get that shot and have a great week. 

(Judgy Ned Luce is a retired IBM executive and Port Ludlow resident. Reach Ned at ned@ptleader.com.)