SIGNALS

You've just caught Covid, for the third time. Last year, your 401(k) was poised to lavishly finance your early retirement. Yesterday, you spent what was left of it on a tank of gas. Regular, none of that fancy premium stuff. The good news is that you've found a nice quiet corner in Concourse E. It even has a wall outlet. The airline assures you that you might get home by Labor Day. Today is July 11.

I could go on. And on, and on, and on. As Charles Dickens famously wrote, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. He whiffed on the first part, but the second part was spot on. All in all, it's been a tough couple of years. And the future – well, it can't get any worse – right? Right?

But here's the thing. Your significant other still loves you. Your kids still love you. Your dog still loves you. You've got a roof over your head. Sure, no one likes to lose years of financial sacrifice and investment, but let's face it – you'll be okay. A lot of people – and by that I mean almost everyone else on the planet – has it a lot worse than we do. Ditto pretty much everyone else who's ever lived in human history.

I don't mean to suggest that these turbulent times aren't turbulent. They are. But in a world where every little thing is amplified to Screaming Level, let's be careful not to overly amplify our discontent too. In a climate of hysteria, we need level-headed people like you. Someone's got to pull us back from the brink.

Not everything is bad. This blog occasionally mentions topics related to audio/video. There's a lot to complain about, but honestly, home theater isn't one of them. In fact, we've got it pretty darn good. Consider: Your TV is so big it wouldn't even fit in your college dorm room. Its picture is so realistic that you are seriously considering bricking up all your windows and installing exterior cameras and interior screens instead.

Your sound system's amplifiers are more powerful that the Saturn V rocket. Your woofers are so loud that they startle whales in the South Pacific. Your tweeters are more accurate than anything on Twitter. From your phone, you can call up and choose from 30 different recordings of Beethoven's Hammerklavier sonata. Soon, technology will be available so that Beethoven himself will be able to arrive at your house with a piano and play the sonata for you in person. (Patent pending.)

Back in the day, the term of art was “high fidelity.” That was an apt description. And in the ensuing years, the fidelity has gotten even higher – by a very wide margin. Too bad that everything else around us, seemingly, has become lower fidelity.

Anyway, look on the bright side. Only 55 days until Labor Day. Your checked bag, on the other hand....