Tunnel Vision

I spent September 9 in a cave. It wasn’t planned: I had been promised a waterfall. But there was a long drought, and the streams dried up, leaving a cavern of color and a series of interlocking caves. Cliffs soared above and holes gaped below, beckoning me to explore.

I waded through wildflowers and entered the largest lair, calling to my husband that I was alright, and crawled as far as I could go. The view from the cave was clearer than the view from the cliffs. In the dark, every detail of the outside world shines brighter. In the dark, I move slow and gradual, contorting myself to its crevices, observing everything and pursuing nothing. I took pictures because we had stopped at this park on a whim, and it was not supposed to look this way. I had gotten lucky, and I wanted proof that there was such a thing as good luck.

September 9 was a big day. We had dropped our daughter off at college and were taking a detour on a long drive home. The park was a distraction from the pain of leaving our baby behind.

I’m not giving away the location — if you know from the photos below, shhhh — but I will say that it is an oasis near a highway landscape that even I struggle to make interesting. As a result, I spent the ride back reading the news we had missed.

“Israel attacked Qatar,” I announced. “And bombed Lebanon. And killed the prime minister of Yemen. And threatened Turkey. And slaughtered children in Gaza. Again.”

It is hard to catch up with all of Israel’s murders and violations of international law in one car ride. Miss one day, miss countless corpses. Israel had attacked six countries in the last 72 hours. Netanyahu was unrepentant, promising more.

“Even Trump condemned Israel,” I informed my husband. “For Qatar.”

“Trump’s still alive?”

“Still alive!”

Trump’s alleged demise had dominated “news” for weeks. I use quotation marks because there is no longer “news” in the US: only speculation, propaganda in oligarch-run newspapers, dark money posts disguised as articles, the occasional well-researched but paywalled piece, and independent reporting blocked by algorithms.

The rumor that Trump was dying was sparked by a hand bruise and a dream. It was greeted with celebratory anticipation tempered by thoughts of JD Vance.

If that rumor ...