A Pre-Script (like a postscript, but different. The opposite in fact). I wrote this for Thanksgiving, and then I forgot to post it. So, here it is now…Plus, I already missed Hanukkah, so I did just go right out there and say Christmas. I try to be culturally sensitive, but I’m already late.
As crappy and strange as these Covid times can be, there is still a lot to be grateful for, honest. I am grateful that I love the person I have been going through this damn Covid thing with. I love him sooo much! I am lucky that, so far at least (knock on wood), I have not lost anyone to this. My brother and his girlfriend had Corona virus, and it was pretty hairy. He recovered fairly quickly, but she did not. It lingered for months. At one point, she thought she might not make it. It was horrifying. She is okay now, but her health–her life! is one more thing to be grateful for. Two things! Health. Life. I have an uncle who had Covid, too, and he died in the hospital, but weirdly not from Covid. He was 92 and he had just had surgery on his bowel. There were complications, and he simply never recovered. I can guess that the Corona virus didn’t help, but his death was not from the virus.
So those are the just some of the crappy parts, sickness, quarantine, and a Costco regimen that we have to do just so we can avoid shopping as much as possible. I used to like going to Costco, but without the snacks? Really?!? We went again, not too long ago, and I was appalled to see that Costco had started giving out snacks again. If memory serves, they were giving out little candies. I don’t remember if they were the wrapped ones or not, not that it should matter. Either way, it’s risky! I didn’t have any. I am bewildered that Costco would reinstitute that completely dangerous and unnecessary practice. Wow!
November’s count in my County: 3853 cases, 344 in isolation. 59 deaths, which may or may not be Costco-sample related, but still…
On November 26, 2020, there were 60,074,174 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1,416,292 deaths, reported to WHO. As of December 20, the update is: 75,098,369 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1,680,339 deaths.
What I question is what idiot (or idiots?) thought of the color system? Purple for the worst tier? Really? I guess “they” might have had to add purple after red got maxed out, I dunno. Not that I have anything against purple, mind you, it’s one of my favorite colors. It’s just that purple screams, “hey, be free, enjoy. Life is unicorns and fun,” whereas RED means…Full stop. Full exclamation point! Red: now, that’s a color. We are already familiar with red, too, as drivers of cars, trucks, and vehicles of all kinds. Yellow…slow down (or speed up if you like being a jerk. If you speed through yellow lights, you probably are the same kind of asshole who refuses to wear masks, putting everyone’s Grandma at risk. Well, not mine. Both of my Grandmas are already dead, sadly. (Their deaths didn’t even have anything to do with Costco samples.) But, to the point, everyone already knows about colors: green, go. Yellow, slow down. Red, stop. This purple thing just throws a big hitch into it; it’s almost confusing. Purple? What does that mean?! Drive, then slow, then stop at the red, then listen to Prince? Sheesh, somebody dropped the ball on that one.
Still, colors aside, sickness, skyrocketing case numbers, and deaths aside, there is still a lot to be grateful for. We have food. We have family. We have our health (unless we don’t). We have air to breathe and blue skies to look at. Remember when all the fires were raging, we couldn’t breathe, and we couldn’t go out at all? Back then, it wasn’t only because of the virus. You also couldn’t leave your house since there wasn’t any air! I guess you could leave the house, but there just wasn’t any air to breathe, so good luck with that.
Speaking of air, it has gotten harder and harder to be with other people because it’s winter. (You aren’t supposed to be with other people outside of your family anyway, remember?) If you are a rule breaker and you choose to be with others, in colder places, you can’t comfortably open windows to let in the fresh air, which is one of the key suggestions from the CDC. The CDC also doesn’t want any large gatherings, as you’ve heard. There is huge concern that the holidays will be super spreaders, and with good reason. Gatherings cause Covid spread. Numbers of cases will continue to climb. In my family, we have all agreed to stay home in our own small units, our bubbles of safety. We love each other, and we all want to see each other next year, too.
I’m not trying to suggest that if you or your family is getting together for Thanksgiving you don’t love each other. Of course you do. We humans want to see each other, so you want to get together…even though it’s dangerous. Even though you can get sick, or get your Grandparents sick. You are of the crowd who is willing to take risks, speed up at a yellow light. Maybe you want your “freedom” so much that you refuse to wear masks; you go out, hang out with your friends, or go to church*. You might also eat samples at Costco in the midst of the pandemic. If you do those things, I understand you, but I’m not happy for you. I’m not grateful for you. Your choices are dangerous ones, and your choices put my own health– and my loved ones’ health at risk. (*Oh, and I’m not talking about the church services that are meeting outside and using microphones. That’s cool. No singing, though, please, because of the spray, not because of the voices. I love singing!)
Now a detour of sorts. I just got off a texting conversation with my friend. He’s a good friend who I’ve known since high school, or even middle school. I’ve known him since the days when I called him Harvey (long story) and even after that, when I called him Henry (a different long story), neither of which are relevant here. Anyway, Harvey Henry and I just had a text exchange where he revealed to me (having no idea that today’s blog was going to condemn people like him) that he was having a Thanksgiving of eight people. I was aghast. Harvey Henry is smart, and I love him—and his family. (He has two adorable little girls who are the most precious thing since sliced bread. The bread thing is both an expression and a little joke, specifically and privately for Harvey Henry. He’ll get it.) I asked him why he is having a get-together at all. He explained that the people attending their humble Thanksgiving party is only one other family, and they will all be outside on a massive table. Plenty of room for social distancing. I felt a little better. The husband works at home. I felt a little better. Then he explained that because the wife is a nurse, she gets Covid tested two-three times a week. Assuming her kids aren’t getting the virus in between her tests, then, I think is actually fairly good non-Covid odds. Good, but not 100%. I admit, though, I still feel little bit better. I sure hope they don’t eat Costco samples, though.
If you are in that category, and you are seeing your family or friends over the holidays, like Harvey Henry and his family are, can I ask you to please do at least the minimum for safety for yourself and the rest of us? Please, slow down at yellow lights and stop at red lights. Take all of the precautions. Open windows, wash your hands, clean surfaces, all of that important stuff that the CDC, Fauci and common sense dictate. And, for the love of God, please, please wear a mask! Listening to Prince is optional.
