Dear Reader,

I know, as they say, that facts don’t care about my feelings. But surely it is fair for my feelings to be shaped by facts. The problem is, the facts are a mixed bag right now during what feels like a too-slow transition from calamity to calmer days. It is not the best of times, but it is certainly not the worst of times. For me, every day brings a different feeling about how full or empty the proverbial glass is.

Take the pandemic. There is a real feeling of reopening and renewal. Large percentages of Americans are vaccinated, Dr. Fauci says masks can come off outside, and Broadway reopens in September. At times, one feels euphoric. At the same time, there is such COVID devastation in India that one not only weeps for those victims but also worries that the virus will mutate and boomerang back to us unless Hercules is enlisted to avert a second global disaster.

Even here at home, the news is not all good. Lots of folks have gotten the jab. But resistance remains widespread among certain groups, especially Trump supporters. It did not help that the former President reportedly got his shots in secret. Some doctors worry that certain communities will not reach herd immunity where hesitancy is high.