Richard V. Rupp

January 12, 2022

Good Wednesday morning. Welcome to RUPP'S NOTES/FBI SPECIAL AGENT HARTMANN SERIES weekly post. I'm the author Richard V. Rupp, writing from Burbank, California.

 

The raging omicron variant has made me super cautious. From what I'm reading and hearing, this is true for most of you. The Omicron variant continues its record-smashing race across our Nation. More than 6 million cumulative coronavirus cases have been reported here in California. Just before releasing this post, I noted an advisory that because of an unprecedented wave of coronavirus infections washing over the region, Los Angeles County health officials are urging residents to postpone nonessential gatherings and activities that include unmasked people and those who are unvaccinated or at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness.

 

NBC just reported this morning that Covid hospitalizations rose 84 percent, Covid ICU hospitalizations rose 37 percent, and child hospitalizations rose 118 percent over the last two weeks.

 

The human brain is a curious thing. There is nothing else on Earth like it. In researching my current novel SKYWARD, I'm not sure I can say there is nothing in the "Universe" like it. My characters will have something to say about this.

 

A recent horoscope for us Gemni (1.10.2022) by Holiday Mathis reads – "Some say the brain processes one emotion at a time, but you'll challenge the notion. You find yourself taking in all sides of a bittersweet or tragicomic circumstance."

 

Ms. Holiday is a mind reader. Her words fit in perfectly with the already selected theme of this Newsletter – the human brain. I needed to find out more about Holiday, as she has a unique way with words that intrigue me daily. Here's a bit from her website bio –

 

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Holiday has come to see the writing as a spiritual practice akin to the monks who create intricate, colorful sand mandalas to be briefly enjoyed by the passersby and committed to the river at the end of the day. Her intention is to craft a personal daily tiny poem, a small delight for readers -- a nudge toward levity or introspection or fun or kindness or wisdom. A reminder that we're all on this planet together, under the same stars.

 

Life can seem at times to be chaotic and random. Humans are notoriously uncomfortable with randomness. Our brains have evolved to filter out most of it, so what gets through are the threats, the changes, and a small amount of "other" from which we are compelled to try make order, to look for a pattern, to come up with a theory, to construct a narrative, to dig into a belief about…

 

Holiday Mathis is trying, like we all are, to find the pattern. She brings her studies of antiquity as a lens to seek a pattern that will help settle into a positive feeling about the day. One that will make readers know that they are seen and understood and that we all belong together in this cluster of humanity, multitudes beneath one sky.

 

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Her bio comments express a lot of my theme. Regarding my horoscope above, I must admit I had to look up the word "tragicomic" to see if my assumed definition was right. Here's what Mr. Webster says – "1 a play or other literary work combining tragic and comic elements; 2 a situation or incident in life like this." I trust my writing includes both of these elements. Back to my theme - the human brain.

 

Are dreams dead? I hope not. But they do appear to be on a hiatus.

 

As I hide from the world to avoid viruses and the pandemic they have created, I look out my window and wonder about three words – 'TRUTH, 'REALITY' and 'SCIENCE.'

 

My thoughts take me to two additional words - 'UNCERTAINTY' and 'PERCEPTION.'

 

My conclusion is that 'uncertainty' creates unique 'perceptions' as people search for answers in a place they have never been before.

 

Tribe mentality is the human tendency to seek out and connect with like-minded people who share common interests, beliefs, or habits. To me, 'truth' and 'reality' like beauty are in the eye of the beholder. They differ from person to person.

 

Now with the variations of the C-virus, we are constantly reminded to trust "the science." Which I have done by being fully vaccinated, staying away from crowds, and masking up. But, as respects science, I found this comment in a February 7, 2019 edition of PLOS ONE by Nathan F. Dieckmann and Branden B. Johnson - "Alternatively, disagreements among experts within scientific fields may be due to irreducible uncertainty of the world itself and could be conceived of as a part of the normal process of science. From this perspective, it is inevitable that experts will disagree when confronting complex and uncertain real-world problems."

 

It is apparent that each human brain has a mind of its own. And, when that mind is confused, it has a tendency to strike out at the minds of others. Did I really write that?

 

I love watching the PBS show " All Creatures Great and Small " to take my mind off the above. It is a cozy British drama about animal doctoring in a Yorkshire village that I believe will relieve many a mind for an hour or two.

 

If you like what you read in my posts, please forward this to a friend.

 

Please, be kind to others, and stay safe.

 

Cheers,

 

Richard V. Rupp, Author

Website – www.richardvrupp.com

Email – rupprisk@gmail.com

Copyright©2022 by Richard V. Rupp