In his recent novel, “Agency,” William Gibson suggests a weird kind of time travel where through an artificial intelligence people can move into the past. Some of them also like to tinker with alternate pasts and see how they’ll develop — divergent pasts Gibson calls “stubs.”

Holy pandemic! Could this explain 2020, Betster persons? Maybe we aren’t an actual reality, but some cruel future being’s idea of bad art. Think about it: If a year ago someone had said we’d be in the middle of a worldwide pandemic that has disrupted global society, put the brakes on years of economic expansion, and led to open mask wearing by people who are not bank robbers or superheroes, you would have called that a demented dream of a wonky science fiction writer.

You know that old saying: “Reality is what happens when science fiction quits working.” Not only are things stranger than they seem, they’re stranger than you can imagine. If you had gone to Hollywood and pitched the events of this year as a movie script, you would have been laughed out of town.

But here we are, Covid City and all its challenges. We’re trying to get out of this, but it looks like a long struggle. We have some work to do, from addressing injustice to reconnecting all the frayed parts of society.

With love, compassion and listening, we’ll get through this. Meanwhile, beauty abounds and we can still enjoy this amazing state, perhaps with these Best Bets:

BEST FAST DRAW BET: Grab those pens and pencils, pilgrims, and Join Ketchikan artist Evon Zerbetz for a fast-paced session of fun drawing games from 11 a.m. to noon Friday at the Homer Public Library

Use your brain in a different way, worry less about results and more on the fun of discovery. This free event is for kids, non-artists and artists alike, who want to take an hour to spur creativity and connect with other kids.

Registration is required for this Zoom event. Call 235-3180 for details.

BEST RESUPPLY BET: Getting low on books? Don’t worry — BOB has your back. That’s “Books on Board,” the name of the Friends of the Library Bookmobile. It’s now open for curbside pick-up this summer from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the library parking lot. Families can pick up “forever” books. There will be no exchanges or returns, but hey, free books. To keep things COVID-19 safe, patrons won’t be able to enter BOB. Instead, patrons will drive up to the back of BOB where there will be a small table.

A volunteer, wearing a mask, in the bookmobile will take your book requests. The volunteer will bag up two to three books and then place them on the table at the back of the bookmobile for you to pick up. There will be social distancing at all times.

Mike Kennedy, left, Leo Vait, center, and Wayne Aderhold, right, strap the Brother Asaiah statue on a trailer after it was moved from the deck of Cosmic Kitchen on Saturday, June 6, 2020, in Homer, Alaska. Vait created the statue as a commission by John Nazarian, a friend of Asaiah Bates. Nazarian had loaned to the Pioneer Avenue restaurant the statue of the man who coined the phrase “Cosmic Hamlet by the Sea” to describe Homer. The statue was moved after Cosmic Kitchen owners Michelle Wilson and Sean Hogan sold their restaurant. Cosmic Kitchen closed on Saturday. The Asaiah statue will be stored until a new location can be found. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Mike Kennedy, in the crane at right, raises the Brother Asaiah statue from the deck of Cosmic Kitchen on Saturday, June 6, 2020, in Homer, Alaska. Leo Vait, left, on the deck, created the statue as a commission by John Nazarian, a friend of Asaiah Bates. Nazarian had loaned to the Pioneer Avenue restaurant the statue of the man who coined the phrase “Cosmic Hamlet by the Sea” to describe Homer. The statue was moved after Cosmic Kitchen owners Michelle Wilson and Sean Hogan sold their restaurant. Cosmic Kitchen closed on Saturday. The Asaiah statue will be stored until a new location can be found. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)