By David Fortier 

Come Sunday morning, the house project will have progressed a little, of course, not as quickly as I would like it. Two rooms await the return of their windows, only storm windows are up. That means sanding, reglazing in some instances, conditioning and staining before they are returned. One entire room needs its woodwork sanded, conditioned and stained, along with work on the windows. 

One day this week I dedicated to sanding walls and priming them. A second day I painted the walls. I thought it looked great, and I texted Mary that the walls were ready for inspection. Part of me was kidding, but I also know that my eyesight isn’t what it should be, so that when she got home and looked over my work, I was informed that there were a bunch of places I missed. 

She has since dedicated herself to “touching up” what I began. That is aside from everything else she is doing. 

*** 

The two of us carved out time for this week’s Jan. 6 hearings. Again, the work that the committee has done is thorough, measured and damning. But it is only the latter if one can look upon their work through the glassy smokescreen of propaganda that reduces it to the work of people with a political agenda. Even as I write that, I can see how the words can be misinterpreted. Politics has such a negative connotation. 

Which leads me to ask, “How can a country whose existence depends on political integrity and intelligence have reduced politics to a dirty word?” Of course, the work of the Jan. 6 commission is political. But say that and watch eyes glaze over. We hurt ourselves when we allow our view of politics to be reduced to something terrible.  

As with anything and everything, politics is simply what it is, a neutral. Politics describes a thing, situation, condition. What is at issue is how it is practiced. That is key, and that is where our conversation needs to focus. Dismissing politics as evil simply misses the point. We need more nuance in our discussions. 

The hearings will pick up again in September. For a video of the latest hearing, click here. 

*** 

Child No. 2 and family are still getting through a bout of COVID-19. They all have run temperatures, coughs and runny noses. The infant now appears to have conjunctivitis, or pink eye, which is one of the symptoms.  

*** 

Reading/listening: I just finished reading “Sharks in the Time of Saviors,” a first novel by Kawai Strong Washburn. The action takes place against the backdrop of Hawai’i (that is how it is spelled in the book) and peppered with expressions from the native languages, which did not distract me at all. I am thinking, if anything, this sprinkling of non-English words intensified the atmosphere of the novel, driving the conflicts to a deeper level. 

That said, I am not certain everyone who reads it will like it because it might challenge those who prefer realism to anything other type of reading; curiously, I consider this novel a particularly realistic one, because I am one who believes that the world before our eyes, while a wonder, is much greater than our perception of it. In other words, and I am not talking about conspiracy theories, the world is filled with wonder and delight that transcends any sensory description. 

*** 

And early in the week, on back-to-back days, I listened to two programs where Bristol people had prominent roles. The first program, “The Colin McEnroe Show,” featured Bristol educator and entertainer Latanya Farrell on a program discussing Elvis Presley and his legacy. Farrell commented and sang throughout the show. Click here for a link to the show. To find out more about Farrell, click here. 

The second program, a news program, included an interview with Bristol Tax Assessor Tom DeNoto (who happens to be a distant cousin). DeNoto, who is the head of the Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers, was interviewed by Connecticut Public Radio’s John Henry Smith about the jump in car taxes and the effect on the states’ cities and towns. Click here for the story. 

“Come Sunday morning” is intended to be a weekly review, a recounting of the past week and an anticipation of week to come. Among its features will be reviews of old and new books, sharing of favorite podcasts, some family news, Bristol events and happenings and issues surrounding education, work and community journalism. He can be reached at dfortier@bristoledition.org. 

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