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Voices ᐋ ᐄᔮᔨᐧᒫᓂᐧᐃᒡ

Getting burnt

BY Sonny Orr Oct 23, 2020

Looking at today’s situation – the news, the drama, the ranting and outpourings of people without a shoulder to cry on – it seems that (human) life is screaming for attention for its woes and worries. 

Meanwhile, nature is hard at work doing natural things. One thing for sure, the human world is starting to transform into a place with people who have easy access to masks, medical attention and a large supply of disinfectant. It’s amazing how far this pandemic will move us to pay more attention to details – like, hey, cook your food before eating. Maybe eating exotic foods will be right up there in the puffer-fish category of dangerous delicacies, but it is worth paying attention to the fact that most animals have a lot of microbes, like a symbiotic relationship, a daring dance if you may. 

When this dance gets interrupted by some other creature, like a human, it may turn out to be a headbanger style of romp. The one where your head explodes into many tiny headaches and then fills with regret, like I should have eaten the jellied monkey brain instead of the live bat type of regret. But no, we all must deal with this deadly dance a year on and millions of infections later. It’s hard to swallow that pill, so start praying for a cure and freedom from breathing your own moist breath.

It seems that life will remain inconvenient, until this bug dies out due to starvation and the lack of hosts to feed it. As they say, wash your hands and wear masks, that’s the way to do it. But many of us have dared to flirt with danger by whipping off our masks and mingling with people, as we laugh harder than usual and spread ourselves more than six feet. 

Who says that everyone breathes the same way? I know several heavy breathers. Perhaps a high alcohol content drink could be used with a lighter to burn those little buggers along with a few tastebuds. A small sacrifice it would seem.

On the home front, the good old-fashioned roadblock seems to work well enough. But the Covid is creeping North and soon we might go into another lockdown if we care not for others. Caring seems to be a solution here, so I’m hoping that there are a lot of people out there who care enough about their future. Enough to fight without prejudice, like the bug does. It has no bias. You could be the US President or British Prime Minister, it doesn’t care what colour you are or what social stature you have, it will still infect you. 

So, what’s it going to be folks, human ignorance or smart and caring? At least living should be a goal in life and being free from danger is a good addition.

Maybe, we will have to resort to using fire-breathing apparatuses in the end, meaning we might have dry, burnt, chapped lips forever. 

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Sonny Orr is Cree from Chisasibi, and has been a columnist for the Nation for over 20 years. He regularly pens Rez Notes from the cozy social club in Whapmagoostui where he resides.