Chapter 26: Paradoxes in Pandemic Parenting

In the spring of 2020, just as COVID-19 was unsettling the rhythms of life, I discovered comedian Tom Papa on the radio show Live from Here. Each week Papa would deliver a monologue, “Out in America,” recounting travel to cities across the U.S. where he sought out everyday people. In a deadpan delivery he would describe his encounters, employing a trademark line to punctuate particularly wacky moments: “Have you ever … I have.” For instance, in San Diego, looking out over the ocean and listening to a bartender extol his glorious carefree surfing world, Papa mused: “Have you ever found yourself drinking a mystery drink out of a blowfish and start thinking that maybe you’ve been living your life all wrong? I have.”