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Cryptic Phone Message is No April Fools
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida issued a stay-at-home order that will go into effect Friday night at midnight. Our roads and byways are already empty, except for grocery shoppers and local labor that is still on job sites (i.e., painters, carpenters, etc.). Restaurants are closed – take-out only if they can. So a few minutes ago, a solemn and serious message came over our landline from our local authorities stating the new order. They said our local sheriff’s office will be making more clarifications available and take questions and answers at a certain time tomorrow. We get messages like this when an impending hurricane is approaching, or other weather hazards like extreme heat, where we are asked to conserve energy. But nothing like this.
I watched on our local PBS station the story of the 1918 Flu — how it started, escalated, the tolls. It was appalling and I couldn’t finish watching it. I was trying to understand how worldwide epidemics begin and how they take the world by storm. It’s a different world since 1918. Even with SARS, Bird Flu, and Swine Flu, the swiftness of this terrible scourge across the world is nothing like we have ever experienced. I’m scared and still working. So is my husband.
I picked up some extra items at the store today – they were out of toilet paper at an early hour. I feel very fortunate and blessed – we have no debt and worked hard the last few years to get there. We have some savings and are frugal. I have a small garden. I can get through a measly 30 days. I am scared for those that can’t. I’m shocked by a text where our local church asks us to pray for a parishioner who is having a foot amputated and her husband cannot be there because of COVID-19 restrictions. Funerals are limited to only a few family members, so good-byes have to be done from a distance.
This is shocking. All of a sudden, the rubbish is being cleared from our lives and the world, and only the essentials remain. I hear about a lack of freedom, job loss, and other issues. I feel like we can help each other through, but only if we are still alive and healthy enough to do so. So I limit talk radio and partisan politics. This is so beyond anything else.
If we can be a solution in some way, now is the time to shine. What are you doing to be part of the solution? Do you need help, mentally or physically? We have locals sewing masks and delivering food. Medical workers are stressed beyond their abilities. How can we help? What is happening in your town? We’ll get through this together, but only if we hunker down and observe our state and local official guidelines, in addition to federal.
Published in General
It has been amazing how cryptic these essential messages can be. My county in No Calif , which still has not had any deaths from COVID, got its “Shelter in Place” orders about two weeks ago. (Hopefully we will continue to not lose any of our neighbors to this infection.)
I happened to be out filling up the gas tank when it happened. The gas station manager was panicked, as were his employees. The message seemed to offer the impression that we should remain in our homes or else! But what did the “else” mean.
How hard would it have been to add that among the essential places to remain open would be gas stations, grocery stores and pharmacies? I mean, the Sheriff was not in a situation where he had to verbally repeat this 89,000 times. It was a robo call for Pete’s sake. If he is not a good communicator, could he not defer the creation of the message to someone on staff who was?
Totally agree. We had to figure out if we are considered essential services, which we are, but I had to download the PDF with all the updates and new amendments. The governor also directs to Homeland Security. These docs were helpful, even printing out in case we get stopped.
The funny part is that many people are taking it as “stay indoors and never leave,” when there’s that huge “go outside to exercise” loophole.
I’m going to stick to my typical “ride my bike for a couple of hours every couple of days” summer routine.
Some friendly neighbors that we don’t know personally left a note of encouragement in everyone’s mailbox along with a bonus roll of toilet paper.
On my lunch break yesterday, the junior Mc’s and I picked out a fast food joint on the far side of Lebanon (about 15 miles) and went through the drive-thru. Then we took the long way home. I’m a big fan of aimless driving, and it seemed like just the thing to brighten our day, since milkshakes were also involved. We spent a little time trying to come up with ideas of nice things we could do for our neighbors remotely.
Mr. Mc and oldest son are still going to work every day, and I worry. They have lots of public contact.
We drove by Mr. Mc’s former Lowes store on our lunch expedition, and I saw that it too has tornado damage, so all three Lowes stores he has worked at were in the path of the tornado. Not direct hits—all are open and operational.
Between the tornado and the epidemic, the kids have been out of school for the entire month of March, with no end in sight. They have plenty of online contact with their friends, but they are growing tired of being in the house. Thankfully, we can walk and ride around the neighborhood.
Are you in PA? Which tornado? Your neighbors are very sweet and it seems you are all coping with a good attitude, which makes all the difference!