Clinton Township Newsletter

3 j u l y 2 0 2 0 I'm writing this column in mid-June. With all of the turmoil that we've been through in our country lately: the pandemic, the upcoming election, protests, and some violent riots, what the U.S. needs now is some peace, love, and understanding. Goodness knows what we'll be experiencing when you finally read it. I've seen a lot of people arguing on social media, especially lately. Sometimes I think that they maybe do it for sport? I've often thought that if you were to put these same people in a crisis situation, say, a sinking ship or a plane which has crashed in the middle of nowhere, they would band together, help one another survive and get to safety. Politics wouldn't be discussed. Differences of opinion would be very low on their list of importance. These people would form bonds quickly and, once safe, their friendships formed through mutual suffering would be maintained. A marriage or two might even come out of it? I'd like to think that people are benevolent and want to get along. What a year 2020 has been so far. Truly one for the record books. The cover I designed for the January 2020 issue was a divergence from our usual CTNL cover. Using op-art and typography, I had the theme of the surreality of the actual numbers "2020" in mind. When I was young, the year 2020 seemed like something out of a science fiction novel and yet, here we are. Turns out, the whole year so far has been one big op-art crazy mess. I think next year maybe I'll design a super peaceful cover for the January 2021 issue. (It can't hurt.) As of this writing, we are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic with no end in sight. When referring to pandemic these days in person, I find myself calling it "this whole thing" with a sweep of my hand – and people usually understand what I'm talking about. My ability to identify friends wearing masks is now about a solid 75%. For example, a couple of weeks ago I flagged down a woman in ShopRite who I thought I recognized. Once we got outside and took off our masks, a safe distance away of course, I found out that she was literally not who I thought she was. We had a nice conversation anyway. ("How's your family? Everybody staying healthy? This is all crazy, right?" etc.) This pandemic has us all on the same wavelength even when we don't really know each other. When wearing these masks, I think we all look like we're either about to either perform surgery or rob a bank. And we're getting used to it. Strange, right? Less importantly, if anyone in the future is using this publication to research Clinton Township history in the year 2020, look this up: murder hornets. They're currently on the west coast and they need to stay there please – unless of course they turn out to prey upon stinkbugs, in which case it might be a toss-up for me. So many of you are doing so much for others and trying to do the best for your families too. I'm thinking positive thoughts for all of you, your families, your jobs, and your businesses. No one knows what will happen. If anyone tells you that they know for certain what the future holds I say take it with a grain of salt. "Hindsight Is 2020" will be the theme of this year, I predict. (There, I just contradicted myself). What's the most important thing we can do in this time of turmoil? Respect one another. Raise our children and our grandchildren to show respect to everyone as well. I used to tell my children, "Respect everyone, and expect respect in return." The second most important thing we can do is VOTE. Vote for the people who best uphold your idea of respect and who will ensure that we have a system of laws and regulations that are equally beneficial for all citizens. I hope you all have a blessed, healthy, and peaceful Fourth of July. Remember what a wise person once wrote and we all recite often: "One Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for ALL". Hang in there y'all – we'll get through all of this. OUR ADVERTISERS SUPPORT US. PLEASE HELP US BY SUPPORTING THEM. from Carol Beder's SHADES | MOTORIZED SHADES | BLINDS | DRAPES | PLANTATION SHUTTERS You Deserve Them! 908.236.2688 14 Lebanon Plaza n WindowExpressionsNJ.com – Julie Fl�nn www.MSIPlumbingAndRemodeling.com 1109 Rte. 31 S. Lebanon, NJ 08833 New Jersey Licensed Master Plumber #8722 Your Remodeling Experts! 908.735.4438

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