Hi everyone! I am home from a few days up in Raleigh visiting my daughters & their husbands, and my grandsons. It was the first time for all of us to get together since the lockdowns were announced in South Carolina and North Carolina. We stayed together, under one roof, but we didn’t go anywhere. Ok. The guys went to the grocery store. They wore masks and washed and sanitized as needed. No doubt about it – It was REALLY good to get together and I had a wonderful time! It was a Mother’s Day weekend and reason to celebrate!
And, yes: We hope to gather again over Memorial Day weekend here at our home on the riva.
But, I know that life is still very much day to day when it comes to making plans. Our two states are opening up again, especially South Carolina. Starting today restaurants can bring customers inside in SC, with new cleaning requirements and only 50% of the pre-pandemic seating available so that the tables will be spread farther apart.
The need to get people back to work is immense and the economy needs to start moving. We all know that.
As we watch restrictions lift I am concerned about two things specifically:
The coronavirus has gotten up close to our elected leaders now – our prez, our VP, and those working on the national task force. Part of me says “serves you right” as they seemed to be too relaxed early on while they told everyone else how to be safe. They didn’t wear masks and they stood too close to each other. They met in close quarters and defied their own standards. But, truly, I do not want to see anyone suffer from coronavirus – even the leaders. It seems awful even if you make it through. But, maybe now they will understand better the anxiety so many around the world have faced from it. That is a good thing.
My sister got an email from the administration of the assisted living building where my Dad lives. A resident has been tested and is CoVid 19 positive and is being treated in the hospital. It’s very scary when it gets into a ‘closed environment’ such as where Dad lives. For weeks now he has not been able to leave his room. All the meals are brought in to his room. Aides come in but only after doing the proper procedure of washing. No family or any guests have not been allowed there for weeks. Yet, someone contracted the virus anyway. Most residents are elderly and have some health issues (who doesn’t at that age?) so they are not able to fight a virus well, or stay asymptomatic with it. As you and I see more freedoms in dealing with the situation, the opposite is happening there.
I watched the news this morning and noted that the national new cases has not yet evened out, yet restrictions are being dropped.
Yesterday I saw an AME Church parking lot in rural SC full of cars as we were on our drive home. Members were inside the church worshipping together.
A friend said he went to Lowe’s Home Improvements this past weekend and only about 10% of customers wore masks.
It feels like two different worlds are happening right now. Numbers going up in both. More new cases & deaths continue. Yet, more and more people are heading out to shop and dine, and live without masks.
Let’s face it, we are all tired of dealing with it.
I’m especially interested to see what the next two weeks bring. The two worlds still live in one place. So, either the opening up with the new safety systems will end up okay, or we go backwards with it and have to really quarantine again.
Which world will it be?
Marla’s Musings 