Day 75: How Are You?
Trying to stay happy and positive but feel crushed by it all? That could be me. Isolation, loneliness on some level, but not as bad as others. Can you imagine how lonely and isolated someone must feel if they are still trapped in refugee or immigration ‘camps’ during this time? Can’t get away from those who are trapped with them, or maybe they even have a room/bed, but are stuck in even further isolation and loneliness? I know someone who is stuck. Even if all the documents are in order, can’t leave. No planes flying anyone out. Countries have closed their borders, for now. No real end in sight. People usually stuck in those situations are coming from second or third world countries. The expenses fall on them, first. People out of work, all in survival mode, personal foods getting stolen, limited clean water…
Myself, I have plenty to do even though much of what I did, I can’t do, right now. But, I do have a house, with plenty of food, and plenty of things to do, since I have internet. Personally, I have been doing a lot of studying and learning new ways to redefine what I can do, for now. I even have some guilt about it knowing others are trapped — really, trapped, and I am eating well. Though, unemployment isn’t fully figured out for me, yet, I have all that I need because I had one or two other sources of income — some retirement stuff — so I can keep some basic bills paid. I am lucky because I was able to make arrangements with my mortgage company for at least 60–90 days, which is helping me a lot. Student loans are on hold, with no interest until Sept. 30, if they are Federal loans. While I don’t want to call on my family, because I am FIERCELY independent, I know they won’t let me starve. Nor, will I let that happen to them. (I could drop 20 and be even a bit healthier…)
We are all doing our best, I expect, but there are some who still “yell’ at others because they are not doing things “their’ way, or they didn’t see the sign on the store doors not to bring their own bags. I think it’s a bit silly because those conscious enough to bring their own bags because of ‘save the environment’ are probably the ones who don’t really know a new rule has been put out there because THEY ARE STAYING AT HOME and didn’t know there was a new sign posted on the store’s door. Couldn’t my clothes carry as much as the cloth bags I re-use? I wash them, by the way, regularly. And, many times I simply forget to bring them in and end up bagging my groceries at my car.
What about all the things in the stores, on the shelves, that many have touched? Does the store wash all the food down before putting it out? Of course they don’t. If you are really afraid, wear a mask and gloves — which I’ve seen many do. When I get home, I DO wash or wipe off my foods before storing them.. My mother did that, always. Even if you peel the skin off the orange, you can still contaminate the fruit with whatever was on the skin, and now your hands. Common sense has to play a part here. I like to hope that many are smart enough to naturally do the right things. But, I have to say, I know of many good people who do NOT practice good hygiene. I grew up with nuns, and they watched us like hawks…and if I remember correctly, before lunch in grade school, we took bathroom breaks so that they knew we had washed our hands.
Anyway, we are all tired of much of this. We all want safety, health, wealth, and mostly good things to happen. I don’t always hear that, though. And, I don’t like it when this is blamed on one, or the other, political party, or people wishing that they would get sick. Illnesses, epidemics, pandemics do not know religions, political beliefs, bank accounts, superiority or inferiority. It can attack and level any one of us, even those who think they are the most protected. Unless you are living in a bubble — you still have to eat and use the bathroom, so you probably aren’t, no one is exempt from this. We will all die at some point in life. No one gets out, alive. Panodora’s box was opened a long time ago. Do the right things, even when this is past us.
