Joseph Sabino Mistick: Painting fences and finding respite from politics

I painted my fence last week. It’s not a big deal to people who do that kind of work every day, but some of us got away from working with our hands, and fence painting revives those old memories without the likelihood of pulling a muscle or falling off a ladder.

In the thick of this pandemic, we all look for distractions from the pain of being separated from our families and friends. We long for our old lives and it seems that this will never end. If that sometimes makes you think that you’re going batty, painting a fence can help.

You know from the start that it will eventually end, fences being more obviously finite than many things in life. And there is no way to rush it, so you patiently work one slat or post at a time, slowly advancing, careful not to miss a spot. These certainties of fence painting are comforting in uncertain times.

My fence came along just in time for me, since I started painting it the day before the first 2020 presidential debate. Many Americans look forward to the debates, with two candidates toe-to-toe, trading ideas like jabs and hooks, parrying and blocking their opponent’s quips and barbs.

Debate night has become an American tradition. It is the heavyweight championship of our politics, and as the big night approaches, friends swap theories about tactics and bet on the outcome. There are debate-watching parties, and teachers and parents use it as a civics lesson.

Donald Trump created chaos from the start, and it turned out to be not much of a debate. He attacked Joe Biden, the Biden family and the moderator, leaving little room for anyone but him to speak or be heard. And he mocked Biden for wearing a mask.

“I don’t wear masks like him. Every time you see him, he’s got a mask,” Trump said. He claimed that Biden “shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen” even when he “could be speaking 200 feet away.”

The morning after debate night, a few of the president’s supporters objected to his behavior, especially his call for a white supremacist group to “stand back and stand by.” Most of his official followers remained silent, willing to let the nation stumble along until this passes.

But Americans across the political spectrum demanded changes before the next debate, and the Presidential Debate Commission started to consider new rules, even a mute button to maintain control. Trump opposed any revisions. Then he tested positive for coronavirus, throwing the future course of the contest into doubt.

At times like this, we look for something familiar to steady us. Our upcoming holidays will be different this year, but we will find ways keep our traditions. And Election Day — which has held our course through wars, depressions, civil strife and even pandemics — will be different, too, but we still can vote.

As for me, I went back to painting my fence, which turns out to be a lot like the Republic — resilient and reliable and durable, as long as you give it a little attention when it starts to crack and lean.