The last few weeks have been trying to say the least. I know I’m not the only one whose life has been affected by COVID-19. However, I have been able to work and for that I’m grateful that I am still able to maintain.

It’s been on the minds of everyone that I know. From the people who come into the bank to the ones who live in the next room over.

I feel like I haven’t written in a while. I’m pretty sure that I haven’t. My fingers are cold and tired and I am having a hard time trying to focus. My stomach has been hurting for a while now. I’m pretty sure it’s stress. Stress from it all. As restrictions have kept many inside, I am one of the essentials, and therefore I am one of the ones who are able to go to work to help the world keep function in some way. It’s been about 4 weeks now since this has taken ahold of the community where I live and work. Many weeks longer in other parts of the country and the world. In fact, I feel like being called an essential worker is a lot nicer than saying we are human sacrifices. And to be honest, that is how I feel when I get to work in the morning.

In the last few weeks I have seen, even more than usual, that the all mighty dollar is what rules the world. People are dying in mass and we are worried about stupid shit. I feel like there is a large portion of our society that think others are blowing it out of proportion and it’s not a big deal. I have heard that drinking black tea will keep you out of harms way so it’s alright to just go about your daily life like there is nothing to worry about. I have heard that the virus doesn’t survive in heat so we need the summer months of our Arizona summer to hit us sooner rather than later. I have heard that masks aren’t really going to do anything so we shouldn’t worry about covering our mouths.. That one being my favorite from POTUS. I have even heard we should start WWIII with China over it… All I could think of at that very moment, as I was recalling that bit of news, was a line from The Princess Bride when Wesley is about to rescue Princess Buttercup, Vissini says, Never get involved in a land war in Asia. I don’t understand a lot of what others are thinking or what Fox News is telling them to think. It’s almost as if the US is seeing what this is doing to our allies and our enemies alike and we just put our heads in the sand and say it’s not that big of a deal.

And yet, we have already surpassed the number of deaths in any one country. The community that I live in hasn’t had anyone they know really get sick from it yet, so it’s still like this mysterious thing that only affects other people, those who are bleeding heart liberals who live in big cities. Serves them right kind of thought. I feel like it is the same thing that happens when people start to have it happen to them or their families. Once it becomes personal, that’s when we start sitting up and taking notice. Like gay marriage. What the fuck? Like it some how invalidated any one else’s marriage? What the fuck ever! It was never about politics, it was all religion.. Until it started to happen to the politicans. People had to fucking die in order for others to see this wasn’t a joke and this is about being treated like a human. If you are against it, wake the fuck up and pull your head out of your ass. It’s not about you anyhow. Love has no end, isn’t that what the Bible teaches? yeah.. I read it too. Maybe that’s what should be taught instead. Love is endless and love is beautiful and there are so many kinds of love that the book talks about. There was never any punishment for being gay either. But that book is very clear that if you’re a divorced woman, you shouldn’t even be alive. Adultry made the top ten list on that one too.. I digress

Where was I?

…???

Oh yes, Australia. Just kidding… 🙂 The issues coming home. I have a strong belief that there are many out there who look at an issue, be it human rights or otherwise and think it’s no big deal, why do we have to honor fill in the blank. But then the issue comes home for them. It becomes personal, it effects their lives directly. Some will look at it from a new perspective and see that this is something worth while to fight for because it now involves someone they love. There are others who don’t care about that and will continue to have the same ideas… I can’t help them. Though I hope that one day they see that being able to give our love to another person is truly something to strive for. Love really is beautiful.

In my country, we are divided on how we should handle this new kind of reality. I have been saying it’s now week 3 of The Twilight Zone. I have no doubt suicide rates are about to skyrocket and in about 10 months we are going to have a baby boom.. One thing I saw today, and it was also pointed out shortly thereafter, is there are so many people right now in my country who are shouting we need to just be able to get back to work. They are saying well, it’s only so many people who have died from this, it’s not really that bad.. they are the same people who shout out about we should ban abortion for good in this country. Wow.. talk about a switch. As a woman in this country, I find it disgusting how laws are allowed to be passed solely on religious beliefs and our rights are taken away. We are promised to have a clear separation of church and state in the 1st amendment in the Bill of Rights. But for the life that’s here already, they don’t give two shits. They don’t care about a mother’s life if her’s is in danger, she’s not allowed to terminate a pregnancy. They have gone so far as to say that having an abortion is a prison worthy crime. Yet, for the life that is here, with our hearts beating wild and free, fuck them. They don’t deserve to live. It baffles my mind. I don’t understand that in any way.

For me it’s no surprise that so many are going along with what Fox News tells them think. They always do. It’s ok, they are entitled to be told what to think. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem is when you’re attitude about a world wide pandemic is that you think it’s no big deal, what are we all so worried about. I have a problem that you have so little regard for life. I have a problem that you have no problem with being a carrier and you can give it to others who may not have as good of an immune system as you do. I have a problem when the Almighty dollar means more to my countrymen than the lives of the ones who live in this country. We are facing a fucking Greek tragedy here. Like a real life thing. I don’t understand how so many cannot see the reality of what the outcome could lead to. Things that could be prevented if we listen to and follow the precautions given by the CDC. Wear a mask when outside of your home. Stay the fuck away from people. Don’t think this is going away simply because we are going a bit stir crazy. The more you gather the more it will take off again and again. I’m sickened to think of what Michigan is going to go through in about three weeks, after yesterday’s protest of their shutdown. It’s going to effect the world economy in ways we, my generation and the baby boomers, have only heard about. It’s going to devastate many billions of people. In my country, if we don’t get it under control and start to follow what is being told to us, we stand to lose a lot of people. Like someone you know. Or someone you know has lost someone they know or love.

It’s coming. Whether my fellow countrymen chose to believe it or not, it doesn’t stop it. I can only hope that when the smoke clears, I can hold onto the ones I love again and enjoy the little things in life. An adventure far far away with my husband, a snuggle with my girls and their babies, a race with my sisters, a run through the woods with my dog, a picnic.

Until then, I will keep running. I love that I am still able to run. I will do the best I can with what I have. I will smile and try not to stress over things I have no control over. And as of today, I will be including a totally op ed piece once a week because I can only censor myself in writing for so long. And since it’s my page, and I can do what want, I will be having a sundae column, with the same title, so you if you don’t want to read it because you are tired of reading other people’s opinions, then that’s cool. I get it. Whatever.