Such Is Life…Realistic!!

I realize that Horton’s writing makes me think, and Pierce’s narration always makes me willing to listen.

This story seems very realistic, especially in this day and age of how varied types of people and personalities all seem to be drawn together over the use of marijuana. Anyone seen as disapproving of it’s use is portrayed as uptight, straight-laced and generally villainous in some fashion or another. No one seems to believe or understand that like any other plant, people can actually be allergic to marijuana even to the point of anaphylactic shock from the smell or any other kind of exposure. Nor do those who constantly use it acknowledge that today’s marijuana/CBD is NOT the same stuff that was being used in the 1960-70s. It’s much, much stronger, more concentrated and being promoted in the same exact way that LSD, thalidomide and asbestos were in the 1960s-80s. Each of these were pushed as Safe, even for use during pregnancy and by children…Effective and Health-full!! Any reports that “cry foul” were seen as reactionary, ridiculous and totally unbelievable!! That said, do I believe there will be folks like Dan who use it during the Apocalypse…Yes, absolutely!! Everyone over the age of 50 knows some sage-like pothead who’s music and verbiage is still celebrated today in 2022.

Holly, like a lot of law enforcement and social workers will have a very hard time adapting to the understanding that people will very quickly begin taking the law into their own hands once the complete loss of grid power is gone. As food supplies dwindle people will be less willing to feed someone whose drain on available resources only strengthens them in their ability to create havoc. Accordingly, each will have their own version of a “come to Jesus” moment.

As for Ranger Missy, her end was inevitable. Those who are perenially unprepared always want those who did prepare to “open up” about what they have. Invariably they “tell” what they see or suspect, inviting others to “overrun” the prepared. Big retail stores “show everything” they have on a daily basis, so it’s unfortunately very realistic to expect them to be looted when things go bad. However, using “authority” to force individuals to “reveal” what they have, especially just to “satisfy their curiosity” is inexcusable. It’s opening private citizens up to being looted and violence. People have choices…they can have a daily expensive coffee drink or buy and store coffee beans, they can even do both. They can go to the movies or they can buy books that will provide knowledge or they can do both. But to expect those that bought the coffee beans and books to give it all away to those that didn’t, particularly to the deficit to their family and friends they prepared these things for is completely unjustifiable. But such is life!!