With the transition of Joe Biden to president appearing increasingly likely and Kamala Harris as vice president (obviously with higher aspirations), I thought it a good time to take note of what some of life's everyday needs cost us at a merciful end to 2020.
My hope is to compare where we are today with what we will be paying for the same things a year from now.
They say elections have consequences. Perhaps by recording these expenses today, we will be better able to determine any consequences to every American family's pocketbook as a result of this one.
It's always beneficial, I've discovered, to pay attention, sharpen my observations and make comparisons when possible.
This past week, I could purchase gasoline for $1.63 a gallon in nearby Branson or $1.78 here in Harrison.
Here are other prices advertised in the local paper and local supermarkets: chuck roast $3.98 a pound; butter, two pounds for $5; spiral half ham, $2.28 a pound; pork tenderloin, $3.98 a pound; prime rib roast, $9.98 a pound; Martha Harps dinner rolls, $4.80 a dozen; sweet potatoes, 55 cents a pound; gallon of milk, $2.50; whole turkey, 10-22 pounds, 87 cents a pound; instant mashed potatoes, $1.25 for 15.3 ounces; pecan pie, $4.99; ripe avocados, 78 cents each; organic spring mix, $4.19 for 16 ounces; St. Louis pork spare ribs, $2.49 a pound. Also, Aldi's was advertising a complete family Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings for under $30.
By the way, the stock market soared to a record high last week, edging just above 30,000.
That should be enough to make an adequate comparison in 12 months. Care to venture a guess how these figures will compare after a year, valued readers?
Godspeed, Joe Morgan
Life's saddest moments can stem from the loss of a loved one or friend. Joe Morgan of Little Rock and I had only recently struck up a mutual admiration when he suddenly left this world Nov. 21 at 76 years old.
The doctor said it was a chronic pulmonary illness that claimed the former auto dealer as he lay hospitalized, which explained why I hadn't heard from him in two weeks.
After meeting at the retirement celebration last summer for his fellow Arkansas Game and Fish commissioner, Ken Reeves of Harrison, Joe and I had carried on conversations most every week.
He had been Governor Asa Hutchinson's first appointment to the commission in 2015 and, as vice chairman, was in line to become the next commission chairman.
Last summer, he and his lovely wife Judy hosted me for a wonderful dinner when I came to Little Rock. We laughed, conversed and shared war stories in a memorable evening together.
If there were three things Joe did well (I'd say as a newbie to his life) they were generosity, advocacy for wildlife conservation and relating compelling stories with a hefty dose of wit.
In the months we came to know each other (Joe was far better than I at picking up the phone to chat), I always looked forward to our chats.
As an avid duck hunter, he said he planned on inviting me to my first hunting camp this winter. I understood the event is basically an extravaganza of buddies eating and recreational beveraging (my word) while sharing tall tales of hunts past, which he loved almost as much as Judy. Oh yeah, and they do shoot ducks.
As evidence that God valued him, the newspaper reported he took Joe back home on opening day of the 2020 duck hunting season. I only hope he's able to slide into waders, load his shotgun and hunt to his heart's content amid heaven's idyllic rice paddies, reservoirs and sloughs.
I had no idea Joe had even been ill until Reeves called to say he had passed. Yet another good life lesson about never assuming anything or taking any relationship for granted.
Godspeed, Joe. Along with many others statewide, I'll miss you and all you brought to a commission dedicated to those things in nature closest to your heart and ours. No doubt we would have become fast friends over time.
Courage and honor
Joe Morgan's recent passing, along with those of a former friend and increasing numbers of other high school classmates, I'm reminded of another truism about this mystery we call existence.
So many of the departed, from Mahatma Gandhi to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and President John F. Kennedy, achieved greatness because they exhibited courage, which demonstrated their lack of fear in facing their own inevitable death.
I saw this trait of greatness best described in a recent quotation attributed to Aristotle that reminded us that we will never do anything of deeper significance in this lifetime without courage. "It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor."
And it's equally true that fear is the greatest debilitator to fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the human animal.
Now go out into the world and treat everyone you meet exactly how you'd like them to treat you.
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Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist, was editor of three Arkansas dailies and headed the master's journalism program at Ohio State University. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.