Wednesday, 3/18

I'm sure it'll be an exercise in futility, but I'm still working ahead.

As of right now, the trip Loraine and I were planning to Germany at the end of April is still officially on. This despite--

1.  The fact that American Airlines has canceled almost every single flight to Europe.

2.  The fact that the Bundesliga has absolutely no plans past April 4^th.

3.  And the fact that the E.U.'s new ban on people entering the continent would end 11 days before we go.

I mean, I'm realistic to know that the trip's probably not gonna happen. But at this moment, everything technically is still a go. Even though American's not flying to Europe, British Airways is. The Bundesliga has not yet canceled the RB Leipzig/Fortuna Dusseldorf match we want to see. And the E.U.'s ban on entering the area, as of this moment, ends on April 18^th. We're supposed to fly over the 28th, and be there on the 29th.

So, officially, the trip is still on. And because of that, I'm still working ahead on the admittedly infinitesimal chance that we actually get to go.

Now, I'm realistic enough to know that all the work I'm doing now will almost certainly go for naught. As you know, I'm an optimist by nature, and I'm always hoping for the best from people and from the world in large. However, I'm also enough of a realist to know that this...thing isn't going away any time soon. Heck, there's even a small part of me that thinks our second trip this year, the one in early September to France, may not even happen. And yet, despite all that, I'm still working ahead.

Go figure.

Part of me is actually enjoying working ahead, and that surprises me. As I've written in here before, I abhor having to do work that never gets used, as it's a colossal waste of a finite resource, time. And I don't have enough time in my day (or the rest of my life) for that. Yet even though I'm absolutely certain that I'll never use the work I'm doing now, it still gives me a little comfort, and a little joy. I'm guessing because it brings a little normalcy into a very abnormal situation, and it's also providing a little hope, at least to me.

And since hope seems to be lacking anywhere and everywhere these days, maybe that's a good thing.

So I'll keep trudging along, working toward being able to leave on April 28^th. I'm not planning on it, but who knows. Maybe a miracle will happen. Maybe all will become right in the world. Maybe, just maybe, there will be a small crack in the window and we'll be able to take advantage of it.

Maybe. And that's why, in the face of all logic, I keep working ahead.

(jim@wmqt.com)