A Conversation

 At Square One Cafe on Jalan Tamblingan an American and an Australian are discussing the American presidential election. The American opines that Biden is the far better candidate. He says that he will bring back an atmosphere of cooperation in Congress. He says as well that COVID is a natural function of nature. Sometimes, he says, diseases come along in accordance with the inscrutable wisdom of nature in order to thin out the population, which all in all causes the economy to run more smoothly. My chair at Square One is uncomfortable. I'm trying to read a novel but the conversation of the American and the Australian intrudes. I both want to hear and don't want to hear. The American explains that people are at each other's throats. It's exhausting. It is exhausting. I cannot tolerate this chair much longer. I do not know what I've read on the page I've just read. We are all wondering when this will be over.  Maybe when Biden returns at atmosphere of cooperation to Congress. But will that happen? Can it? Is it too late already? I read today that Texan yahoos carrying guns disrupted a scheduled Biden event and that the event had to be cancelled. If you can't hear the man, you can't be part of an atmosphere of cooperation. We are all so tired of this, aren't we? Government ought to be just running in the background, oughtn't it? Like an AC unit or an electric clock. But no, the Texan yahoos are not tired, and other yahoos are not either. Gun toting yahoos. This is their big event, this is their wet dream. Revolution, rebellion, a use for their guns. Stand back but stand by. They're ready. Is this really all over in three days, or is this just the beginning? Maybe COVID and the inscrutable wisdom of nature will work things out for us. Anything is possible. It is possible that Biden will revive a spirit of cooperation and civility. If not, there are always long guns, there is always the militia, there is always the conservative-heavy supreme court. There is always the wind on the embers of discord.