Christopher and
Nico enjoying lunch during a simpler time. We wish we could do this now.
January 18, 2020.
March 31, 2020
Things are not typical in the world today. My day-to-day activities have been taken away from me, and yet it doesn't feel that way. I attribute that to the fact that I'm in law enforcement, so I am required to work. But as my State locks us all down and self-quarantine marches on into April, and maybe beyond, that lockdown will be all too real. I am afraid, however, I am obligated to hold it together for my family's sake. They are depending on me. Sadly, Coronavirus will no doubt alter our way of life long after this disease is gone. I can only pray that most of us find a peaceful resolution at its conclusion.
I feel bad for the people who work in an industry I took for granted prior to the lockdown who are affected by this pandemic. So many people we know rely on the food and retail service industry, but most of us took those industries and those associates, members, cast members, staff, help, and loved ones for granted. We complained about how bad the service was. We argued about the appropriate amount to tip our waiter or waitress, but that all feels ridiculous now. Patrons destroyed their reputation on Yelp and disparaged their reputation on social media. However, allow me to enjoy some subpar meat and watered-down wine if it means I can sit at a table other than the one in my dining room and throw my hard-earned money at the server waiting on me hand and foot. They will receive 4 stars if I can go out and forget about doing my own dishes.
Walking down the grocery aisles at the beginning of this disaster, I marveled at the empty food shelves. Living in South Florida and preparing for hurricanes has nothing to say about what's happening today regarding the stock left on the shelves. But American food choices and comfort food are gone: Oreos are gone, except for those thin things they push, and Chips Ahoy cookies sit. Regular spaghetti is plentiful, right next to the bow tie pasta, but darn it, where is the rigatoni? Lots of tuna fish sitting around. I can't find a can of original baked beans, but plenty of the other flavors left. And vanilla coffee creamer is the bomb, obviously. There's plenty of Gatorade, but what I really needed was Caprisun. Can't find Doritos, but there are plenty of corn chips.
Comfort food will always be best.
There is no way to prepare for this pandemic other than staying home, and what choice do we have anyhow? The government forced the shutdown against the will of the People. Most of us are finding that hard to do. Couch potato, anyone? Not anymore; we want to venture out and find toilet paper before it's all gone again. It is a way for us to be normal. A sense of purpose, well, duty (pardon the pun) every time we sit on the toilet and wipe our butts. Psychologists suggest this is a way for people to settle their mental state in search of some normalcy by searching for toilet paper. Many people may need to give a sh!t about their assessment.
My grandmother always sought some kind of normalcy at the grocery store. She would call me on the landline telephone back in the day and ask me to take her grocery shopping. This occurred almost nearly every day. I would sometimes give her a hard time about going, but now I see why she wanted to, normalcy. I wish I could take her now, but she has been gone for 20 years. I miss and love you, grandma.
I will wander around my house, open the refrigerator door, stare at what's inside, and close it without taking anything.
I don't fear my kids catching Coronavirus. If you ever had one of your kids in pre-school or pre-k, you'd understand why I would feel this way. They'd come home with every type of the flu at least monthly. One would think their immune system is impervious to disease. Of course, though, this is just mindless banter. I do fear COVID-19 attacking my children. When I get home from work, I have to strip naked. Throw my clothes in the washer ( this makes my wife happy), spray my shoes with Lysol, and keep my wife and kids away until I shower. Embracing reality and not my family. It's not like my parents 1960's shows anymore.
"Hi honey, I'm home." <dog barks, sun is shining, family greets me at the door>
Speaking of my parents. I worry about them. My father is a baby boomer and is stubborn. I can't smoke? He would ask as he lit the cigarette anyway. At least my mom is in isolation. In fact, I won't see her until the year 2021.
It would be a shame for them to lead a long, healthy life only to be taken down by a disease that someone mistakenly gave them because they didn't quarantine themselves. COVID-19 has a 14-day incubation period. That feels a little excessive, but what does Coronavirus care?
I think I caught the Coronavirus. A healthy, muscular, 6' 3", 250 lbs. man was brought to my knees in January 2020 because I couldn't breathe. It came out of nowhere. It was 2 weeks of hell. I was 1 day back from Spain after being there nearly a month. I was laid out. If I hadn't spent so much money on my trip, I would have gone to the hospital one night due to my shortness of breath. But I was too cheap to spend $150 on an ER visit. How silly is that? I can't breathe and don't want to spend the money. So, I crawled in bed. Got into a comfortable position. Called out sick from work and didn't move. I had high fever, chills, and trouble breathing. I suffered greatly. No matter how hard I tried to push it out, I could not clear out the thick mucus in my lungs. It would cause me to throw up and become lightheaded. I could not take a deep breath; I was scared, but a part of me thought I was too strong for this and could not make it through. When I came out the other side 7 days later, I still wasn't 100%, but I felt better enough to get out of bed and refreshed. But boy, was I dumb. I will seek medical help if I feel that way again. So, should you.
Could any good come from this? While humans take a break from the environment by reducing our carbon footprint, the earth will replenish itself, and global warming deniers will take notice and realize there may be some legitimate concerns. When wildlife senses less human activity in their habitat, they can return to urban sprawl that is thought to be theirs. Like the dolphins in Venice. Icebergs may get a chance to reform. Fish could have a moment to reproduce and fill our oceans. Birds can repopulate areas they were chased away from. We can only hope there is good in that.
People are scared because who knows where the Coronavirus will lead us and beyond? We can maintain good hygiene by washing our hands and not touching our faces. Wash your hands thoroughly for 30 seconds; wash them every chance you can. Sing happy birthday to me at the top of your lungs. You're quarantined. People won't think you're crazy yet. And shelter in place when you don't have to work or buy necessities.
Keep your loved ones close enough so that they know you love them. Love them by being 6 feet away; maybe add another foot to the rule simply out of love. It's better to see them from afar than for them to be isolated from you on their deathbed. Love is enduring and fleeting; love is forever, and you will hug them again.
Remember that when this is over, you rush out your door. Take this life lesson and appreciate what we have because your daily activities have been restored to you. But remember those who were not so lucky and appreciate it even more. We have seen how quickly the Coronavirus has taken away everything we enjoy.
Love, food, family, and life were taken away instantly. I suppose this is the Coronavirus way of life for now.
Be safe, everyone. Like and share my blog if you enjoyed it.
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Captain Imperfecto and family taking a drive around Lake Okeechobee while self-quarantining in our SUV. March 29, 2020. Baby Max is in the womb.
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