Month: March 2020

Life as We Knew It

I was talking today with someone, and a very learned someone at that, who conjectured whether this Covid 19 virus could be the death of all humanity. Whoa! I am scared and taking precautions, but I never thought it (the virus) could go that far! Could it?

It’s so hard to fathom, but it also lends perspective. I mentioned this comment to my partner, who is a stingy old money-monger, and he said he now wished he’d gotten that car he wanted or taken us on a vacation last summer (not a cruise).

The meaning of a day, hour, minute at a time now screams with legitimacy.

Will life ever be the same again?

Gather Pennies, Screw People

For Donald Trump it’s all about pennies – trillions and billions and gazillions of them. For Donald Trump it is nothing about people. This man would be happy living on top of a heap of coins and cash in a world with no people. Thus is his resolution to bring the economy back by subjecting millions of Americans to the most evil and virulent disease known to modern humans.

Trump continues to snub the realities of a nation in crisis; instead, stupidly promising an imminent panacea in the face of hell.  In fact, in a recent daily update, he flouted the advice of one of his top task force members, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Dr. Fauci, who has emerged as one of two heroes in this health catastrophe (the other is New York Governor Andrew Cuomo), said that only the virus can set the timeline for reopening the country, not a human.

Enter another billionaire businessman. Tom Golisano is the founder of the successful company, Paychex. In the midst of the crisis, he was quoted as saying, “I have a very large concern that if businesses keep going along the way they’re going then so many of them will have to fold.” He added that it would be better for some people to die than to potentially have more die due to an economy in tatters. Of course, he has since stated that his words were taken out of context (?) and what he really meant was that once the health officials gave the all-clear, people should go back to work as quickly as possible. Not sure I see a whole lot of difference in his intentions where getting the economy going trumps (so to speak) keeping people healthy.

As the virus marches forward and shocks us with its advancing numbers, it appears that “normal life” could be weeks, even months away. Remember how Trump scoffed at what health experts were saying about the potency of this virus? Knowing Trump, he’s probably still in denial as the rest of us stalwartly face the deadly tsunami known as Covid 19.

Dealing with the Pandemic

From jackrabbit quick to the stall of a snail tucked tight in its shell.  This is the trajectory of life before and during a pandemic.

I’m not complaining, except when I get a tad bored and the only thing I can think of to do is clean out the linen closet.  In truth – this is a once in the existence of humanity to stay secluded and find meaning in the particles of daily life that go unnoticed.

Correction – some of those particles are evident, like the blanket of dust that acts as a wrist-rest when I’m typing at my computer. But that’s not what I’m talking about. Maybe meme is a better word – the memes of daily existence, like:

  • Really listening to my green cheek conure to determine if she’s mad, sad, hungry, playful or bored.
  • Taking my little Boston Terrier, Finja, for a daily walk instead of shoving her out in the fenced-in backyard to do her business.
  • Listening to all the wild birds on our walk and drinking in the luscious smell of fresh earth as it awakens from its winter cast.
  • Slowly savoring every crumb of the foods we never have time to eat in our “real” world.
  • Digging out my digital camera and seeing the unseen and making it exquisite.
  • Sitting still and looking out the window

It appears our ability to live simply is going to last awhile. I will relish it.

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