Eventually, this will all be a memory

Can you believe that August is here already?

It has been six months or so since the Virus That Stopped the World began searching the planet for a good place to live and multiply. We are constantly told to wash our hands, wear a mask and stay six feet away from each other in an effort to halt or slow down the spread of the potentially deadly virus. Stay home and no matter where you are do not touch anyone or anything. While you are home, consider buying stock in companies that make masks, sanitizer or hand soap. 

I enjoy staying home most of the time although I would like to be able to go out to a sit-down restaurant and have a nice meal that I didn’t have to plan, prepare or clean up. It looks as if that won’t happen as I have found that we can never go back to the way things used to be. We can only go forward.

When all is said and done some things will have disappeared from our lives forever. Examples of this are pay phones, pay toilets, dial phones, alarm clocks, department stores with multiple floors, and hugging as a way of greeting.

We are told to stay home. I consider home to be the house and the yard. Weeding, deadheading the flowers and messing with the flower beds and compost bin are an easy way to pass the time. So far, I don’t see any tomatoes on the vines in the garden. I have discovered a couple of cucumbers and a few green onions. On the other hand, the oversized pot containing the parsley, basil, rosemary and thyme is doing quite well. I use those herbs frequently and prefer the fresh ones to the dried ones.

The other big pot is home to some free calla bulbs someone was giving away at the Jay Community Center. The squirrels made off with a couple of the bulbs but there were enough left to provide a spotted background for the miniature rose I bought from a local big-box store in town. The rose blossoms go through several color changes from white to pink to a deep coral. In front of that is a blue pansy that reminds me of my mom and that has somehow managed to survive the crazy hot weather we have had. 

I am so glad we retired years ago. I would not want to be a single, underpaid parent in these strange times. I honestly do not know how people survive with no job and no savings to rely on.

Not everyone has family they can depend on to take them in. I feel so fortunate to be able to stay home.

I would like to say that I completely agree with the request to wash our hands frequently and to avoid touching our face. I worked for the city a long time ago. Even though I worked directly with wastewater, I never got sick. I think this was due to my washing my hands often, including washing them before and after going to the bathroom. I learned quickly to not touch my face. 

Social distancing seems to be a little more challenging. I rarely go anywhere in normal times so staying home isn’t as much of a hardship for me as it is for others.

I trust that sooner or later the virus will get tired of us and fade into the background of our lives, still there, still deadly, but no longer holding the world hostage. I have faith that the scientists will eventually come up with effective treatments and preventatives. 

Until then, the best way to protect ourselves is to do what the scientists tell us to do. Wash your hands frequently, wear the hated masks, keep your distance from others and stay home as much as you can. All this will be just a memory soon enough.