Texans are tough. And independent. But that may not be enough to win the war against the coronavirus.
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: We were born and raised in New York, so although we both now live in Texas (Black got here with the oil and gas industry in the late 70s, whereas Red arrived in 2001 as her husband has a career that relocated them around the world), we sometimes struggle to understand the Texas way of doing things.
Case in point … trying to figure out Governor Greg Abbott's recent decision to end statewide mask mandates and allow all businesses to operate at full capacity. Red's first and foremost a mom, so it's not surprising she prefers a protective and overly cautious approach focused on keeping everyone safe, even if that means being inconvenienced for a little longer. And while she appreciated that the vaccines are now becoming more readily available, so few people have been vaccinated, which to her way of thinking is even more reason to "stay the course". Why rush into anything right now? And why not err on the side of caution?
Black, given her corporate background, combined with her pragmatism, has looked at the pandemic from a very different perspective, although she gets to the same conclusion. And she believes Red's "safety first" approach has important business implications as consumers will only go where they feel safe. And what was her reaction to the Governor's announcement? It initially featured some "colorful language" but was soon followed by one of her analogies, that while amusing Red, also made perfect sense to her,
I was just starting to feel better about going out into the world (masked, of course) but may continue to hide away as Texas is returning to its roots of the wild, wild, West. But instead of cowboys and masked bandits … we have unmasked, well, you decide what to call them.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends that people wear masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. And many of Texas' largest cities have already announced they will keep requiring masks in municipal buildings after the mandate ends. So, Texas businesses, school districts, and individuals will have to decide for themselves what to do. And at the end of the day, all we can do is hope that everyone will make the right decisions.
Of course, there's Mother's Day and Father's Day. But National Siblings Day? Really?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Could there be a more perfect day for Red & Black than National Siblings Day, except maybe National Sisters Day (that's the first Sunday in August) – but who creates these days anyway?
We'll be honest. We had no idea there was a Siblings Day until Black, who typically never celebrates holidays, decided she at least should know when holidays occur and found Holidays Calendar. There she learned the history of National Siblings Day (it was begun by Claudia Evart in honor of her siblings – both of whom died tragically), but continued her research and ultimately sent Red a Fact Sheet, who found the facts interesting but was genuinely touched by the first bullet point,
Siblings Day follows the spirit of Mother's Day and Father's Day – a great family tradition and celebration of family values. It is an uplifting celebration honoring people who have shaped our values, beliefs and ideals.
Because for all of Black's sarcasm and no-nonsense pragmatism, Red genuinely wouldn't know what she'd do without her sister. Yes, she took Red's crisis and turned it into a book, a brand, and a business. Yes, she's the first person to stop Red's seemingly endless warm and fuzzy, blah-blah-blah (this is Red's description of herself). But Red also knows that no matter what, Black has always been there for her, and always will.
On the other hand, Black has always taken the approach that she can say (or even do) whatever she wants to Red, that's a sister's prerogative, but heaven help the person who tried to do anything to her "baby" sister. And although Black may not "volunteer" niceties about her sister (she prefers the role of big sister explaining how she had to "rescue" Red at the age of 40+ because she was, to be blunt, financially clueless), Black will admit that Red sharing her "crisis" (Red's word, Black prefers "life experience") with others to help them avoid making the same mistakes she made, has made her sister her hero. Which, for those who know Black, is really saying something.
So, whether you and your siblings are as different as Red & Black or have a lot in common, remember that today is the "official" day to let them know how you feel about them!
P.S. – Check out our Honoring National Siblings Day … What Are Sisters For? Animation teaser!
Emotions are powerful. Combine them with facts and you have a compelling case.
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: We may react differently to the Derek Chauvin trial, we may have different viewing preferences, we may remember other cases that touched upon similar issues, but it's probably safe to say that we want to see justice served.
Red never planned to watch the live streaming, not even in the background, as she knew the trial would be highly emotional, simultaneously heartbreaking and infuriating. But she never expected the feelings of remorse and guilt … from the witnesses.
Black, who's always been fascinated by "all things legal" knew better than to "bore" her sister with a conversation about the legal "positioning" and the importance of juror selection, but did mention the pros and cons of live streaming,
Full coverage certainly allows the public to see how justice is (or is not) carried out. But the downside is some witnesses may be made very nervous by the cameras, possibly impacting their testimony and/or harming their credibility; trial attorneys may grandstand for the camera; and the large assortment of trial "sound-bites" does not necessarily mean an accurate reflection of the testimony or facts.
That reminded Red of the Rodney King beating by the police in Log Angeles in the early 1990s, followed a few years later by the infamous O.J. Simpson Bronco chase and subsequent trial for the murder of his ex-wife and her friend. They, like this situation, had been "perfect storms" where significant public interest on "bigger" social issues intersected with a greater appreciation that the public's access to testimony is critical to understanding what and why things happened.
And although we may look at things very differently (emotionally vs. pragmatically), we agree that,
We now live in a society where, for many people, social media has replaced traditional "news" outlets, and everyone's carrying around a video camera (in their cell phones). Coupled with the increased attention to police brutality, white supremacy, and the Black Lives Matter movement, it's no surprise that the Derek Chauvin trial for the death of George Floyd is such a major event. And if that's not enough, layer in the pandemic and the restrictions that places on courtroom attendance, and you have an unprecedented demand for the full and accurate coverage of a highly emotional trial.
What do the Liberty Bell, spaghetti, and April Fools' Day have in common?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Even if you don't "celebrate" April Fools' Day, hopefully, you're careful not to be taken in … yet, for some reason, Red's always on "high alert" when it comes to her sister, Black.
When Red thinks of pranks, she thinks of teasing someone or trying to "fool" them in some minor way, nothing elaborate or serious. More the kind of harmless, juvenile pranks that kids might do to each other.
She never really thought that a prank could require significant planning until Black suggested it could, so decided to do a little digging and discovered some incredibly complex, but also amusing and very clever pranks, or rather, as the article called them, the 15 best April Fools' Day hoaxes. Even though it was from 2012, many of them could still happen today, and Red struggled with whether her favorite was the one about the Liberty Bell or the spaghetti story (it's hard to imagine the BBC pranking people).
Red could only imagine the pranks Black might have played but when questioned whether she'd confess to any, Black told her about this week's Volkswagen prank that didn't go well, and then gave her a history lesson instead.
Did you know back in the days of the Roman Empire and the Julian Calendar (named after Julius Caesar), the New Year used to start around April 1, and it was centuries before it was changed to January 1? Well, many people did not "get the news" and continued to celebrate on the original date, and people who considered themselves "in the know" made fun of those people and referred to them as April Fools.
Well, that explanation made sense to Red. But the more she thought about it, the more she began to question whether Black was playing a simple prank on her, so had to check out the history of April Fools' Day.