Reflections on the Shutdown

Some things to ponder as we prepare to reopen society

When I was going through my three month bout of who knows what I had from mid-December to early March I watched TV and did little else. I had brief spells where I felt a little better and worked a few jobs but for the most part sat or slept.

Sometime in February when I was experiencing a high fever I felt like I was dieing. I had nightmares and when I awoke from one I was delusional. I no longer felt comfortable in my surroundings almost as if I did not recognize my house. It was cold and not homey at all. It didn’t even smell right. I had a strong sense to get things in order, gather unused and unnecessary things and throw-out. The first area was my closet.

So  on the good days I would clean house, then rest and watch TV. Right after the presidential impeachment hearings, which I just about watched the whole thing, more and more newscasts were about the corona virus. Then the shutdown occurred. And then came all the posts on social media sites of people cleaning their house and closets and throwing things out. Hmmm.

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We said we were alone during this quarantine but were we really? Vietnam was the first war to be broadcast daily on TV. Now we can say the covid-19 is the first major crisis where we lived through it via social media. 911 happened but many of these sites didn’t exist then.

I like to thank everyone who entertained us with their daily skits, humor and information to ease our angst. We may have felt isolated but we were never really alone.

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Also I like to thank many of you who checked up on me during my illness and immediately when the quarantine was first announced. I won’t mention names because of fear of leaving someone out. But you know who you are. It did ease my anxiousness during my illness knowing I had people to lean on financially if things got really bad.

But I know I was not the only one with friends reaching out. Many of you did that for each other. Take a collective hug and bow for being there for each other.

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Nothing has made sense during this whole fiasco, nothing and a thousand more nothings.

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In the that’s ridiculous department are the news updates of unemployment numbers going up. Is this really needed when most everything was ordered closed? What did you expect unemployment to go down?

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Arrows at the stores. Dumb stupid and asinine! So I was at a store where they have arrows pointing for the direction to go through the aisles. I was in the vitamin aisle. I left my cart at the top. I couldn’t find what I was looking for but realized that I made it all the way down to the end of the aisle but my cart was at the other end. Now what? Do I circle around to get my cart? Do I walk backwards towards my cart so I am not really violating the arrow direction? Or do I go rogue and go against the direction of the arrow. I went and got my cart.

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After leaving this store it occurred to me the arrows will never work. All it took was a brief observation of the parking lot with cars driving up and down in the wrong direction and parking where they shouldn’t.

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I was sick for three months so hardly ventured out and then the shutdown happened. I am a rebel to begin with and being stuck inside for three months do you actually think I stayed home during this whole quarantine? NO way. Every Sunday I took a day drive to some out of the way park. Just about every night I went for a walk. I had a friend over for Easter and I even shook hands and hugged friends and acquaintances. I am such a rebel! OY!

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Ridiculous talk number two. Within a day of this shut down I wrote how dangerous this is because of suicides. So now what is being reported, the rise in suicides – duh - as if they didn’t see this happening. You take away a person’s ability to put food on their table and coupled with the fear of losing everything you take a person’s self-esteem and hope away

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During my outings to parks most of their restrooms had for emergency use only signs. When you gotta go, you gotta go so isn’t most times an emergency? But some park restrooms had for emergency use only signs but had their doors locked. Now what is one supposed to do when they gotta go? Hello, 911 this is an emergency can you come unlock the restroom? Please stay calm, do you have to pee or number 2? Um a combination. OK this is what you have to do. OK OK but please hurry. Ma’am please stay calm, don’t move, cross your legs and sing Mary Had a Little Lamb OK. Yes OK….  Paramedics arrive. It looks like she isn’t going to make the restroom, bring a sponge and mop please. Lady don’t move, we will clean you up. Double OY!

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Almost immediately when this happened I wrote America will never be the same. And it won't be. The new buzz phrase is the new normal. Please think for yourself, do not use that phrase. There is nothing new or normal about communist run governments which is just about what were are experiencing.

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Sunlight since God said let there be light has been good for man and planet. Sunlight or being outside does wonders for ones health. They admit being outside and in the sun could help fight covid-19 and yet they keep our beaches and campgrounds shut. Do I need to comment further on this?

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And that's a wrap!

Gotta Go-Go!

Carey