Anxious for return to normal, whatever that is

A Pittsburgh  newspaper humor columnist and author Tom Purcell made the comment  of a quote often attributed to Ben Franklin or Mark Twain and he felt no truer words had ever been spoken. The quote: “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain but death and taxes.”
There’s no question how this world is changing. The world and its inhabitants are constantly changing. It is even more evident after battling COVID for several years and then hearing a health official optimistically say, “It will be great when we all can return to normal.” We question in this changing world just what is NORMAL?
Right now we are faced with the situations that indicate the old ‘normals’ are disappearing. World climate change is indicating an uncertain normal. Instead of compromising our politicians have dropped the idea of compromise and are endangering our once normal effective democratic governance that made our United States the envy of the world.
Other questions come on board. Is a new normal for our citizenry going to be a continual mass increase of individual suits over irrelevant matters in our court systems? Hopefully the word “cooperation among individuals” can avoid that.
In conclusion without going into more turmoil examples, we’re ready for many of our old ‘normals’ to resurface . . . that is if we can find ‘em.
As someone observed, “It is going to be pretty tough when this country could ever get back to normal and the fellows who write those articles on economics have got to know what they’re talking about again.”
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A new maid had just arrived and her mistress was giving her a list of kitchen utensils to be purchased.
“And don’t forget, Emma,” she said, “we want a new griller for the kitchen.”
Emma stared vacantly.
“You know what a griller is, I suppose?” ventured the lady of the house. “Of course I do,” returned the girl. “It’s a big hairy monkey, and if you want one of those in the kitchen – I’m leaving.”
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Love at first sight  -- The world’s greatest time-saver.
RL Furse  is publisher emeritus of the News-Register