Time to weigh in on the major story in our lives – the Corona Virus.
I made a post on Facebook the other day how a part of me missed being on the air and covering this major story but then I showed a picture of my sleeping grandson and realized I was right where I should be.
I’ve had my share of big stories:
On the air during the 9/11attacks.
The Boston Bombing.
Aaron Hernandez arrest.
Blizzards
Hurricanes
When President Reagan was shot.
The day Elvis died.
I’m sure there were others and I’ll admit that there is an adrenaline rush and I felt really focused at the time. It’s been an odd adjustment during my semi-retirement to watch these stories from home.
This one is amazing. To see the sports world shut down! This has never happened before. Sure, baseball paused after 9/11 but then came back. To see no school for weeks, if not months, is incredible.
We joke about “milk and bread” when a blizzard is coming but I don’t think I’ve ever seen the grocery shelves as empty as they have been for days. And a run on toilet paper? It is funny to see what people are stocking up on and what they are leaving behind. I bought the gluten free pasta the other day because that was the only one left. And if you like Brussel Sprouts you’re in luck! There were plenty where I was.
I’m still in Virginia Beach and things are not as bad here as they are in Massachusetts. As of this writing there are 152 cases in Virginia compared to 413 in MA.
We’re doing fine. My daughter Sarah works for a bank and she says it’s been crazy because so many people have been coming in trying to take out all their money. One lady wanted $50,000 at the DRIVE THRU! Ah, that’s a “No.”
My son and son-in-law in the Navy have gone to an “essential personnel” schedule where they only work every few days.
My daughter-in-law Marla is on deployment on the Aircraft Carrier Eisenhower somewhere overseas and she’s probably not going to see land for awhile because no one on board has the virus and they want to keep it that way. And if that’s not bad enough, she’s probably not going to get mail for awhile in case it’s contaminated. We have no idea where her Girl Scout cookies are that we sent her.
Back home Kat and Matt, like many other college students, are studying online.
As for my wife Priscilla, I worry about her but she insists they’ll be alright. If you don’t know, she’s a paramedic near Boston and they have had numerous meetings and conference calls about planning and proper precautions. They are transporting patients who have symptoms to testing and then back home. I worry but I trust her judgement.
As for me, I’m not really scared about the virus. My respiratory system is actually a part of me that’s working fine so I don’t feel at risk. The churches down here are still open but it’s strange that I’m actually afraid to go to church. I just don’t want to be in a small environment with people right now.
I just wash my hands a lot and keep playing with my grandson and hope that someday he just reads about this in a history book.
By the way, I just recite the Lord’s Prayer while I was my hands. I figure it’s long enough and ….. it couldn’t hurt!
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