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It Seems Impossible to Not Be Unprecedented


 

Of all the places to see it, I was waiting in line to pay for groceries today and there was a notice on the isle divider that “due to our unprecedented times self-bagging would no longer be allowed.”  I thought to myself – yet again – that word.   Unprecedented.   While I’m shopping for groceries of all times!.      

I don’t have to tell you that we hear and see it everywhere.   First, they started using it for climate change.  And soon after to describe the behavior and actions of President Trump.  And now, it’s a perfect trifecta with the advance of the Covid 19 pandemic.     

Except for some extreme conservatives, the majority of Americans accept the impacts of climate change, such as temperatures rising in the air and in the water, ice melt from glaciers in Greenland and the disruption of many species of plants, insects, fish, animals, etc.   And with each passing year new records are being set and every time they are reported as “unprecedented."

On the political side of things, there certainly were an "unprecedented" number of Democrats vying for the presidential nomination.  A literal army!   And you would have to be blind and deaf if you have not watched or heard President Trump set “new precedents" of bad behavior and questionable government actions that are set and then destroyed on an almost daily basis.   Sometimes they are reported as ‘unprecedented’ multiple times a day.  And sometimes Trump refers to them himself as “unpresidented” in his tweets using his poor spelling to coin a new word for a similar action.   

As for Covid 19, I’m sure we wish the government assurances it was just a hoax, or it was under control in China and it would beautifully disappear by Spring were proven true.  But when our government told us it’s not their responsibility, we found a use for the word ‘unprecedented’ to describe the lack of coordinated government plan and ‘unprecedented’ spread of the disease and infection as a result.   Worse than the death and disease, the rapid impact of our inaction on our economy was again described as ‘unprecedented’   

There is one thing I can assure you, we seem to be living in ‘unprecedented’ times .  If the word "unprecedented" is being used, it means change is happening.   And I cringe as it usually denotes some form of negative action or activity.    I’m sure we all wish the world was a bit less ‘unprecedented’ right now but I wouldn’t hold my breath for it this year.  Maybe 2021?   In the meantime, could we come up with another word?   I just want it all to be over. 


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