These are some crazy times we live in, some days I think I’m living a remake of Steven King’s The Stand!
I’ve been out and about though, mostly driving around seeing what’s what, though I did have to drop into the supermarket to get a few things. And while plenty of stores are closed and bars are closed and churches are not holding service, plenty is still open. Weird, right?!
Home Depot is open and it is packed.
The movie theater is open and has a line out the door.
Target: open, busy.
So what’s going on here? Why are some people taking this seriously and others are not?
My kids live with their mom and I’m only 5 minutes away but I haven’t seen them directly all week because she doesn’t want anyone from outside coming in. We text, phone and Facetime daily though. The kids are out of school and she stopped working because, as a cashier in a grocery store she didn’t want the exposure. I get it. She’s taking this seriously.
He sister on the other hand had friends over for ‘Coronas on the deck – staycation social’ on one particularly warm Sunday. Umm….not taking it seriously!
We’ve all seen the video from Miami with the kid saying “If I get coronavirus, I get coronavirus. I don’t care it’s not stopping me from partying.” And the girl so upset because the bars were closed and the beaches were closed and how pissed she was because it ‘ruining her spring break!’ Ok, people are dying and will continue to die. People are out of work and can’t pay their rent of mortgage, so listen blondie, you self-entitled little brat, get over yourself, this is bigger than you!
Many people right now are taking the time to clean house, do yard work, de-clutter and decompress. many people I know are taking this seriously, staying inside and going out for long walks. That’s great. And if you need to there’s plenty you can do from home for a great workout, just follow…pretty much anyone on Instagram and you’ll see someone pressing their laundry basket over their head or doing trunk twists with a broom, or maybe you’ll get tagged in the ‘see 10, do 10’ pushup challenge!
NYC has checkpoints coming into the city. What are you doing here? Are you a resident? No? go home.
Some New Jersey towns have instated curfews along with other towns across the country.
And you have these hoarders that have been stocking up on bottled water canned goods and toilet paper and can’t get enough. They are in line at Costco, waiting to be one of the 50 let in at a time so they can dash to the far corner of the store hoping there is still one giant 32 pack of Charmin left on the shelves to add to the other 40 packs they have stored in every nook and cranny everywhere. Why toilet paper? Is there really a risk we will run out of trees?
Do we honker down and stay inside and wait it out? Playing board games and connecting with our family and friends virtually and reconnecting with distant friends and cleaning house, home, and headspace? Or do we go on with our lives as best we can and pray we don’t catch it, like we did with the bird flu, the swine flu, H1N1 and SARS? I didn’t take those seriously, and I got the swine flu!
People may not realize this but there’s a lot of shit going on around the world and it’s coming to America. German chancellor Angela Merkel who doesn’t generally do TV broadcasts went live telling her country ‘This is serious!’ and pleading with them to ‘take it seriously’. She compared it to the second World War in that no challenge since then has demanded such united action. Wow. she’s right.
The crematoriums in Italy can’t keep up with the death toll. Think about that…
And then there’s LA, where folks like Evangeline Lilly who, while she could be setting a great example for her fans and followers and fellow mothers, is instead valuing liberty and ‘choosing freedom over their lives’ and its business as usual with gymnastic camps, yoga class, etc. So I get it, you don’t want to be inconvenienced and honey you do you, but you are putting your kids at risk and putting it out there that you are doing so. As a parent that’s a big problem for me. And as a celebrity, shame on you for not doing all you can by doing your research, choosing to protect your family and setting a good example by advising caution.
But is that her responsibility? Is it mine?
Consider this, somehow a perfectly healthy Paul Rand was able to get tested. I don’t know how because all the hospitals around us won’t even test if you have symptoms because they don’t have any more kits or because they know by the time the test comes back you’ll be fine or you’ll be dead. For real. And they won’t admit you unless you seriously can’t breath. This is from doctors and nurses I know working the front lines, putting their lives at risk when their aren’t even enough supplies of basic safety equipment like masks and gloves to see through this pandemic.
So how was Rand even able to get tested? And do we think it’s okay that while he waited for the results he used the senate gym and pool and held meetings etc? I mean he seemed healthy and had business to do. But that does send a statement to the country.
“Hey I’m scared and want to know I have this thing, and I’m an elite member of society so I can just get the test without cause. And while I wait and see I’m not going to take it seriously and possibly infect others. You know what Paul, why don’t you invite Evangeline Lilly and her family over for dinner while you wait for your results, oh and be sure to include the spring breakers on your invite list as well, those poor kids need some fun.
Who’s right?
Who’s wrong?
How much social distancing do we need and how long is it going to go on?
What do I do?
What do you do?
What are you actually doing?
Leave a comment and let me know how serious, or not, you are taking this.
Me? I miss my kids and my friends and the gym and my income from my side jobs that are shut down due to this. I’m taking it seriously and I’m taking the time to get back to me.
What an amazing opportunity this has created! A chance to look inward and work on ourselves, and read…books! Meditate, learn, reflect and interact with family and distant friends and tell them I love them.
Get some piece of mind and discover what’s important, and it’s not getting the latest fashions at the mall it’s about laughing with your friends and family and talking and investing time into them and enriching each others’ lives.
Yes, it’s a crazy time out there and it’s full of opportunity.
Use it wisely and maybe find a new shade within yourself.