Covid-19 Wednesday March 25, 2020

Updated Tuesday November 10, 2020

Updated Sunday, October 2, 2022

I feel like my whole life was spent, preparing for this moment. I was the “Jack of all trades” poster child. I wasn’t a hoarder in the classic sense, but I always tried to stay “stocked up” on everything, to the point of being a little “klepto”. I always imagined the possibility of an apocalyptic event, which would devastate the economy, and reduce humans to where there was no money, and survival depended on your ability to produce something.

We may be there! I remember, early in my career, how quickly a job could become obsolete, and college students would find that the thing they studied for was no longer required. That was bad enough. Look what just happened! Half of the jobs on the planet became, not obsolete, but, inaccessible.

Our system has already collapsed to the point where I, as a senior citizen, am unable to shop online, something I had been accustomed to doing, to the degree I began to take it for granted. They keep telling me about all of the organizations that perform services for senior citizens, but finding one online is next to impossible. Already, I am in desperate need of groceries, and on Friday, I must decide if I will risk my life to go to Costco for my medication.

If you watch the hype on television, you might feel safe around other people if you maintain a distance of 6 feet. I can promise you that if you are downwind of someone who is contagious, 6 feet will be inadequate! Another thing that most people forget is that there are a lot of people that just don’t give a shit, and will refuse to comply with any directives. They will ignore advice, and are extremely dangerous to be near. Then, there are those with diminished cognitive ability. They are not only a danger to themselves, but are a danger to everyone.

Our health care professionals are misinforming us. I believe that this virus is capable of infecting, virtually, everyone on the planet. As the virus evolves, and humans evolve, there may be an equilibrium reached where the population as a whole may develop an immunity, or at least, a symbiosis.

I turned 74 years old in January. I smoked cigarettes for 43 years of my life, and even though I have quit for nearly 20 years, I don’t feel like I could survive infection with Covid-19. For that reason, I will upload this as I work on it.

WHAT IS A PANDEMIC?

Yesterday I watched a documentary on Amazon Prime called “Unseen Enemy”

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B072Z5F9JY/ref=atv_hm_hom_1_c_D4dtpS_3_17

This documentary chronicles past epidemics, and pandemics. It is dated 2017, so, the producers were unaware of what we are facing today. It discusses the black plague, the Spanish influenza, smallpox, Ebola, and Zika. I was surprised that polio wasn’t mentioned. That was my childhood inoculation, probably thought most important, next to smallpox.

Nature maintains an equilibrium in ways we are unaware of. Man upsets the equilibrium by hunting certain creatures to extinction, giving no thought to what role those creatures play in the ecosystem. Upsetting this balance forces nature to eliminate some of the perpetrators. I call it “a thinning of the herd”. In places where humans are crowded, with poor hygienic ability, these epidemics are devastating.

A lot of people will die as a result of Covid-19. The elderly, and the weak, and some healthy, for no known reason.

Resources are limited, and, as they become scarce, there will be a reluctance to expend resources on the elderly and weak. I have come to terms with my mortality, and I do not expect any heroic measures to keep me alive. My greatest fear is, and has always been to die in pain, gasping for breath. It’s not looking good!

I own the property that I live on. For now, that is a great comfort. I would hate to have a mortgage. This has allowed me to live very comfortably for the last twenty years. How far will society collapse? Will I lose this place?

So many people have mortgages, and jobs that they have either, lost, or are unable to perform, for some reason. What will happen to them? Are the rich going to continue trying to become richer? I think that would accelerate the collapse. The government is working on an economic stimulus in the form of a check issued to every American, whether they need it or not. I hope they don’t think a “one time thing” is going to solve the problem. This is certain to adversely affect the cost of everything as the greedy attempt to profit from a bad situation.

The time has come to show some compassion. We need to work together to solve some of the problems which have arisen. I would gladly pay someone to stand in line for me at the grocery store, and the pharmacy. There are people that would love to make some money standing in line for me. How do we get connected? There is so much CRAP on the internet, it has become very difficult to find anything!

I would like to say a few things about hoarding. There is going to be waste like we have never seen. People aren’t thinking when they buy way too much of a perishable item, most of it will perish! Sugar and flour will last for a long time, if you can find it. Toilet paper is a luxury. If you have a place to wash, it is unnecessary. There has always been a surplus of milk. Now it is hard to find because people are hoarding. FOLKS! That is another perishable item.

Some stores are opening early for seniors. I haven’t gotten out to see what that is like, but I’m sure that is a clusterfuck too! It is incredibly dangerous to mingle with anyone, most of all, seniors. I will avoid this until it becomes absolutely necessary.

Gasping for breath is what forced me to stop smoking over 18 years ago. I never worried much about it, as all of my doctors told me I would die from my exposure to asbestos. All of us humans wonder how we are going to die. Some of us with terminal illnesses know, but some are surprised with a traffic accident, or a fall, or some other type of accident, or illness. I am in the most vulnerable to the coronavirus group, and my chances of surviving are slim!

As I reflect on my life, I must say it has been an interesting trip! I was born during America’s greatest era. The war (WWll) had just ended and America was not overcrowded. Technology had begun to boom. I went from no tv to what we have today. Hundreds of over the air channels, cable, satellite, and options like Netflix or Amazon Prime.

We played outside with sticks and tin cans. We were told to be in by dark, but rarely ever made it, and it was safe to be outside after dark. We went to the beach for vacation, and during the weekdays, I had the whole ocean to myself. Anyone wanting a job could find one, and you could pick whatever you wanted to do for a living. If you didn’t like your job, you could quit, and find another.

I watched these things go away as I grew older, and my attitude about many things has changed. I have always been judgmental, without intending to be, and now, when I see it in others, it disgusts me. I was always harsh with people, and now, I try to be empathetic, but still lack patience. Young people seem reckless to me. They take our technology for granted, not realizing how quickly it could all disappear. Everyone, including myself, has become complacent, and now, we are all about to be tested in many ways.

Now, more than ever, we need to be kind to one another. You never know who will be your boss tomorrow. Evil deeds will have unpredictable consequences so it is very important to consider your actions. Retribution comes in mysterious ways. I have seen it with my own eyes. Be kind to one another!

I will close for now, but I will add to this as material becomes available.

Be kind to one another!

It has been a very stress filled 8 months since I created this page. We have a new president, amid soaring infection rates, and half of the country is resisting, or blatantly disregarding directives on how to get the infection rate under control again.

The holidays are upon us, and, of course, families want to get together to celebrate with their loved ones. Tragically, many elder and health compromised individuals will lose their lives because of our reluctance to break tradition. We have begun a new era where we must adapt to new protocols, the most important being social distancing, and wearing of facemasks when in public.

My life partner has been to the dentist several times, which terrifies me, and I have made several trips to my favorite grocery store, Smart and Final, only because their delivery system is not up to speed, as yet. They require masks, and have social distancing markers on the floor. At opening time, it is not crowded, and I feel reasonably safe, but I still worry. I have also had blood drawn for lab analysis, and visited my doctor, in person, to receive my annual flu shot. Most of my dr’s appointments have been by telephone.

I am amazed how little my life has changed, aside from these things. I empathize with those whose lives have been severely impacted, and I ask that everyone get serious and do the right things, which is the only way we will ever achieve normalcy again. Also, be aware that a new “normal” wil arise from the ashes.

This will NOT be the last pandemic! It is a parent’s responsibility to set an example for their children so that they may adapt to a changing, and increasingly dangerous world.

REMEMBER, BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER!

Sunday, October 2, 2022

After nearly 3 years, I interacted with friends without wearing a facemask. The friend is 15 years younger than me. He caught covid last year and nearly died from it. He told me if he hadn’t been in excellent health, he certainly would have died. Another close friend I recently reconnected with, nearly died from covid. They are both conspiracy theorists, and got infected, unvaccinated, and ignoring distancing directives.

I am vaccinated, boosted, and due for the sub-variant booster. I still mask and distance myself.

There are so many tools available to lower your chances of infection.

Walmart has developed an excellent delivery system. I have everything delivered to the house, in the bed of my pickup truck, and I back up to my door and unload. Soooooo easy! I should have had this service before the pandemic.

Quest diagnostics has a system of checking in which eliminates the waiting room experience. My lab work is done by them.

My Drs. Appointments are by phone!

Nearly everyone has stopped wearing masks, and statistics indicate a roughly 50% vax and boost rate. Covid is still here. Monkeypox has arrived and polio has re-emerged. All of you boneheads that don’t want to be vaccinated may not be around for long.

I had a very messy “Facebook meltdown because of the stupid shit I was seeing being posted. Some of my close friends I thought were intelligent turned out to be kinda’ stupid, denying the existence of covid (It’s just the flu. My aunt got it and wasn’t hardly sick.) The other doesn’t want to be told what to do, but is compelled to suggest that others disobey directives. Intelligent humans shouldn’t need to be told what to do!

If you disobey directives, and contact the virus, you have no-one else to blame but yourself. You are relieving the planet of many dumb-asses. The next step is to remove all warnings from labels. If we eliminate enough dumb-asses, the rest of us could live in relative safety.

BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER!

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