<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">A New Variant<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(20, 20, 18);" class=""><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; color: rgb(20, 20, 18);" class="">They say a new variant has been detected.<br class="">Have you heard about it? <br class="">Wildly contagious, it is believed <br class="">to infect the mind’s eye.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(20, 20, 18);" class=""><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; color: rgb(20, 20, 18);" class="">They say it jams the brain <br class="">and may weaken your old opinions.<br class="">The machine of your mind <br class="">may stop chattering and start to hum.<br class=""><br class="">They say the variant has a side effect—<br class="">compassion. Many report tearfulness, a tender heart,<br class="">empathy for the stranger with 20 items in the quick check line <br class="">or the guy following too close in traffic.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(20, 20, 18);" class=""><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; color: rgb(20, 20, 18);" class="">They say it will loosen your grip on your judgments<br class="">and create space for curiosity. In fact, <br class="">you might be rendered mute by all you do not know.<br class="">And, for sure, your immunity to wonder will be broken down.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(20, 20, 18);" class=""><em class=""><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; color: rgb(20, 20, 18);" class="">This</span></em><span style="font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; color: rgb(20, 20, 18);" class=""> variant, they say, will make you dizzy, distract you<br class="">with the possibilities for simple kindness. You could<br class="">lose your place in line, even forget why you’re waiting,<br class="">angry and afraid, in the first place.</span></p><div class=""><br class=""></div></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Anne Evans</div></div></body></html>