Oh, the wonders of desktop computers! As this commentary begins for the June issue, Memorial Day observances in Naperville have just concluded. Unlike the days of learning the keyboard on a manual typewriter that were followed by advancements made by the IBM Selectric, it’s now possible to top off previously written words after a story is nearly finished simply with the click of a mouse. The days of ripping out the sheet of typing paper to start all over are long gone.
So here goes… I’m happy to report the 2021 Naperville Memorial Day Parade along Jackson Avenue and Observance in Central Park attracted thousands. Mindful that so many individuals have given so much in the battle for freedom around the world, my personal observance of this year’s events with smaller crowds — taking photos, thanking Veterans, talking with longtime friends and chatting with new acquaintances who enlightened us with a thing or two — inspires us to continue doing as much as possible to heighten awareness about our liberties in our quest for a more perfect union.
My thoughts raced back to Memorial Day weekends as a child in Muncie, Ind. The Catalina Swim Club opened that Saturday. My parents and their friends always planned a bridge party for Sunday, a marathon of sorts, with four or six or eight couples. For years, they repeated the all-day party while they listened to the roar of the Indianapolis 500 on the radio. Then came Memorial Day, a quiet time of reflection for my dad who’d served as a Navy Seabee in World War II. Dad didn’t talk much about his service. We knew, however, that Memorial Day was a time to remember our nation’s Fallen Heroes.
And so Memorial Day 2021 came and went. Thoughts going back to mid-March 2020 are reminiscent of the stress created by many cancellations and many challenges that have faced small, independent businesses and their supply chains.
Thoughts turn to my mother who was pretty good about handling the stress as well as ups and downs that came with the freedom of owning a small family business. My dad owned a general construction business where she took all the phone calls. Plus, she’d grown up on a farm. I recall her distinction between healthy stress and unhealthy stress. She read a lot.
I’d have to say that while stress affects everyone in different ways, the stresses of this past year certainly inspired my curiosity to learn the facts about the pandemic, a global epidemic that has created horrific economic and social disruption, complete with many scientific terms and words that were foreign to me.
As a publisher, editor and writer, trying to keep up with all the new words and their definitions, right or wrong, created plenty of stress. Then came the recent news that more than 535 new words and meanings, including “COVID-19,” have been added to Merriam-Webster.com, an online source that aims to help individuals understand their culture and use language better.
So much for that “Test Your Knowledge with a New Word” that winds up in my inbox every day.
And though “incurious” is not a new word, it’s been curious to note that the word that means “not inquisitive or observant; indifferent” has been used often this past year to describe folks in the media.
One more thing about stress
We recently discovered that the word “stress” was coined by Hans Selye in 1936 to mean “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change.” Look up books by Hans Selye at the library or online. He’s renowned to be a trusted source regarding the ”wear and tear” that’s found in living.
And locally, a lifestyle of community events, art fairs, walks in the parks, fishing, kite-flying, birding, swimming, community gardening, Municipal Band Concerts, and Independence Day fireworks are among activities that could help us all get back outside to what comes naturally.
Relax. Take deep breaths. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Follow local protocols. Wash your hands, but don’t wash away commonsense.
Enjoy a safe and healthful summer. Thanks for reading.
– Stephanie Penick, PN Publisher
