The Matrix & the Maybe War

One morning recently in the Publix grocery store where I’ve shopped for the last 20 years, I was in the pet food aisle when the lights suddenly went out, the power in the store died. The generator didn’t come on.

This usually happens in the summer during violent thunderstorms or before and after hurricanes. That day the weather was just about perfect – sunny, no rain on the horizon, the temp outside at about 84 degrees. It was dark enough so that I turned on the flashlight on my phone to read the labels on the cat food cans.

One of the employees who stocks groceries was also in the aisles. Younger guy, usually quiet and keeps to himself. I glanced over at him.“What happened? It’s not even raining out there.”

“Well, we’re at the brink of war, you know. Any day now.” His eyes were kind of wild as he said this. I looked away.

And suddenly I imagined him at home, a huge bowl of popcorn in front of him. In my head, he’s devouring the popcorn and the latest bullshit and lies on Fox News. “Oh. Right,” I replied, and hurried up the aisle.

Okay, so which matrix am I in?

Well, not his. I’m in the post-pandemic world where Biden won the election, his vaccine rollout is successful, where more than 40 percent of the country has been vaccinated. In Florida, according to the CDC, a little over 40 percent of the population has received at least one vaccine dose.

Back to the grocery store: Five or six minutes later, when I was in another area of the store, the power came back on – or the store’s generator leaped to life.

When I thought about this later, I suspected this young guy was referring to another insurrection that would reinstate trump to the presidency. The far right has been tossing out dates every few weeks for when this would happen. I suppose it’s a good fund raising strategy. Hey, Base! We’re coming back!

The latest date is the end of August – the 31st. This is the date that Michael Lindell, the CEO of My Pillow, has been touting that triump would be reinstated as president.  There’s absolutely zero evidence to support it. Also, there’s nothing in the U.S. Constitution about something like this.

But Lindell doesn’t care. He doesn’t give a shit about his pillows, either. His are awful.
Now that the tourist season here is over, all the equestrians have moved on to cooler climates, Publix is practically deserted. I see that stock guy frequently. One of these days soon, I’m going to ask him where the revolution is now.