I am proud to say I have a broad liberal arts background and it’s times like these that make me glad I studied French literature. It has been particularly helpful during this pandemic.
When I read Ionesco in school, I learned to embrace the absurdity of life. Now, every day is absurd. If you would have told me five years ago that we would all be wearing masks and trying to stay six feet away from others, I would have never believed you.
From Sartre, I learned that hell is other people. We have all felt that way during this, whether it is from people standing too close in the grocery store line to people wearing their masks under their noses.
When I read Proust, I found out he could go on and on and that, thanks to his madeleine reverie, everybody likes cookies. Who doesn’t? Cookies should be in a food group all by themselves. Not only can they help us recall memories, they are good eating.
It is comforting to carry these literary examples near and dear to the heart as we go on about our daily pandemic lives. It makes it easier to cope.
Come to think of it, I think I’ll make some cookies. That might solve all my problems today.
I’m Rosie Klepper and that’s my perspective.
