As weeks go by, we all hear more and more conflicting information as we try and stay safe. The infected and death tolls rise and it is hard to comprehend that we are experiencing a global pandemic! In this day and age, with all of the medical advances, how can we be experiencing this? It isn’t the 1920’s with the Spanish Flu pandemic, it is 2020 – almost 100 years later! How can we be in this position?  Suffice it to say, it is a rhetorical question.

But a real question is how are people weathering the limitations put on our movements in order to protect us and limit the spread of the virus?  My friends tease me that it has minimal impact on me. Since I am not working, I don’t leave the house much anyway. I get my groceries delivered, so I don’t have to go out for that. Yes, it is an extravagance! But to be honest, much of the vegetarian products I prefer are not available at the store across the street from me. So the $5 it costs me to have them delivered vs. getting in the car, fighting traffic as I drive 10 miles to the closest store that has them, doing the shopping with a mask over my face and gloves on my hands (no I haven’t done that yet), etc. Well, it seems like money well spent to me. Plus I know what I’m getting vs. going through those motions and not being able to get what I need when I get there!

My critical items are toilet paper (like everyone else) and cat litter.  I can pretty much adapt with everything else for a period of time. But this has been an eye opener – a little like an extended hurricane threat. Which brings up the question of how we are supposed to maintain social distancing guidelines if we have to evacuate (being on the gulf coast and hurricane season starting shortly)?  I’m packing up and going to friends in Georgia if that happens. But not everyone has that kind of option. It begs the question – what is our government – Federal and State – doing to ensure our safety? If this isn’t part of their responsibility, I don’t honestly know what they are there for. Our safety does include police and fire, infrastructure, etc. Not arguing that at all. And they have fiscal responsibility to us as well… That said,

Shouldn’t they be a little more worried about the infection and death rates rising?

Since I’m unemployed (and have been since before this started), I’m not subject to a company telling me I have to risk my life and come into work like others do. In this way I am fortunate. On the other hand, it also means I have no income coming in. Given that our unemployment system is severely hosed up, I still haven’t heard about my initial submission weeks ago. So I’m not counting on that getting fixed any time soon.

I understand the concerns about the economy. We are definitely in a recession and anyone who says otherwise is in denial. But what good is opening everything back up to business as usual if people start dropping like flies – more than they already are? Because people have already shown they have no common sense when it comes to adhering to social distancing. Miami beaches at Spring Break ring a bell?  The kids packing the beaches demonstrated that they have no common sense and suffered from the “It can’t happen to me” syndrome.  So I suspect that even where there is partial relaxing of the rules, many people will be stupid and just go for it with no concern for others.  I guess it boils down to what is more important – money, people, or fun.  I pick people. Actually I pick animals first, but that is just me – I’m an animal person. And they are suffering too. And then people.

Well, I’ve gone far afield from my original intention. Bottom line – I feel badly for people having trouble coping with staying at home. Me, I’m perfectly happy to do so. But these people who are gathering in close quarters without masks like the reverend who has been arrested multiple times and just says God will keep everyone safe – those make me crazy! I guess everyone who has died – over 60,000 in the US alone – well, if you go by his logic, God doesn’t care about them. I just don’t believe that. And he has balls to call himself Christian if he doesn’t care about the precedent he is setting and what he is implying about everyone who has died!

And the people protesting? Seriously? You care so little about your family and friends you are willing to risk killing them all because of some misguided notion that the government has no right? Well, guess again. It is a health emergency – they have every right – and responsibility! – to protect the public against the stupidity of some who can’t comprehend the science and facts.

I have always loved the saying “Trust in God, but first tether your Camel”. What does it mean? To me it means that you should trust in God, but you should also be logical. For example, don’t leave your wallet full of cash sitting on the table in a restaurant while you go pick up your food at the counter. That is just asking for trouble! Tie up your Camel! Do the logical thing and trust that when you do your part, God will do His. (Please no offense intended with the His…)  How does this relate to those examples? Trust in God to keep you safe, but do YOUR part by wearing a mask and keeping safe distances! Because to do otherwise just seems to me like you are TESTING GOD. And that, I believe, is just wrong.

So please – stay home if you can. Wear a mask if you go out. Even if you don’t care about yourself, there must be someone you care about that could die from this due to someone’s carelessness. Even if you have no symptoms, you can pass it on. That has been proven. By science and fact.

There I go again – citing science and fact. Silly me.  So be smart. Trust in God but tether your Camel.  Try to have peace until things get back to normal.