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2021-07-22

Minister's Post, Fri Jul 23

Dear Ones,

As LoraKim and I march through our 60s (like, it seems, Sherman marching to the sea) the thought of retiring from settled UU ministry does occur to me. I wanted to let you know. I am eyeing the summer of 2023 -- two years from now -- as a possibility for stepping down from the pulpit of this wonderful congregation I have had the honor of serving since 2013. That's not definite at this point, but I did want to go ahead and let you know it's under consideration.

We have, then, this question to consider together: What can we accomplish together in two more years? I look forward to your thoughts.

Yours in the faith we share,
-Meredith

Covid Review

The Worldwide numbers are not reliable, and likely are greatly underestimating the actual prevalence of Covid-19. These numbers may nevertheless give us an indication of trends.

New Cases
New cases per day, worldwide:
Week ending Jun 23: 365,204 per day.
Week ending Jun 30: 379,021 per day. Change from previous week: +3.8%
Week ending Ju1 7: 409,917 per day. Change from previous week: +8.2%
Week ending Jul 14: 471,628 per day. Change from previous week: +15%
Week ending Jul 21: 521,485 per day. Change from previous week: +11%

New cases per day, US:
Week ending Jun 23: 12,160 per day.
Week ending Jun 30: 13,631 per day. Change from previous week: +12%
Week ending Jul 7: 16,082 per day. Change from previous week: +18%
Week ending Jul 14: 27,290 per day. Change from previous week: +70%
Week ending Jul 21: 42,068 per day. Change from previous week: +54%

New cases per day, NY+NJ+CT:
Week ending Jun 23: 768 per day.
Week ending Jun 30: 800 per day. Change from previous week: -4.2%
Week ending Jul 7: 807 per day. Change from previous week: +0.9%
Week ending Jul 14: 1,280 per day. Change from previous week: +59%
Week ending Jul 21: 1,960 per day. Change from previous week: +53%

Deaths
Deaths per day, worldwide:
Week ending Jun 23: 8,316 per day.
Week ending Jun 30: 7,825 per day. Change from previous week: -5.9%
Week ending Jul 7: 7,672 per day. Change from previous week: -2.0%
Week ending Jul 14: 7,874 per day. Change from previous week: +2.6%
Week ending Jul 21: 7,913 per day. Change from previous week: +0.5%

Deaths per day, US:
Week ending Jun 23: 317 per day.
Week ending Jun 30: 268 per day. Change from previous week: -15%
Week ending Jul 7: 226 per day. Change from previous week: -16%
Week ending Jul 14: 275 per day. Change from previous week: +22%
Week ending Jul 21: 254 per day. Change from previous week: -7.6%

Deaths per day, NY+NJ+CT:
Week ending Jun 23: 18 per day.
Week ending Jun 30: 16 per day. Change from previous week: -11%
Week ending Jul 7: 13 per day. Change from previous week: -19%
Week ending Jul 14: 13 per day. Change from previous week: 0%
Week ending Jul 21: 12 per day. Change from previous week: -7.7%

New cases of Covid-19 are rising. In the US, the number of new cases per day is over 42,000 -- that's 2.6 times what it was two weeks ago. This rise in cases is tempered by the fact that deaths from Covid are not substantially increasing -- and, for the USA, declined a bit this week.

Nationwide, the proportion who are fully vaccinated reached 45% on Jun 17. Since then, it has crept up only another 4.3 percentage points -- and now stands at 49.3% fully vaccinated. (In NY, we reached 50% on Jun 13, and are now at 56.2%). Our tri-state area (NY, NJ, and CT) has 10% of the US population, but is seeing only 4.7% both of the new cases and of the deaths, nationwide.

Practice of the Week

Unitask.

This summer, we’re looking at spiritual practice in the “give it a try” category. If you’re not regularly doing this week’s practice: give it a try: Unitask.

In our busy lives, how often do we find ourselves doing more than one thing at a time? Many days, it seems that multi-tasking is an ingrained part of life. For ONE WEEK stop multi-tasking. Try it and see how it feels. You may find you want to do this all the time -- not just occasionally.

For example, work on the computer without the TV or radio on, or drive the car without listening to the radio or a CD. Exercise or eat in silence. When you fold the laundry, only fold the laundry, without also talking on the phone or watching TV – and when talking on the phone, do only that, giving the conversation your full and undivided attention.

Research has found that there is no true multi-tasking. What we’re doing when we think we’re multi-tasking is actually switching back and forth – which, from a performance standpoint, reduces effectiveness and efficiency, and from a spiritual standpoint, means you’re never fully present for anything.

"Multitasking is less productive than doing a single thing at a time. Multitasking reduces your efficiency and performance because your brain can only focus on one thing at a time.”

For the complete post, see, "Unitask."

See also our SPIRITUAL PRACTICE DIRECTORY

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