TIMES TO LIVE THROUGH

This may be last year's photo but we need something up there to brighten our days.

What's happening to our world is something that has taken us all by surprise. It is dreadful and has been mismanaged.
Why lives have been lost when advance warnings were out there, I'll never know.

In the UK where I am, hoarding was an utter disgrace but it happened elsewhere too. Why I haven't had that problem is because I keep abreast of the news and every little blip is noticed. Every time I shopped, I'd buy an extra something so I had stock. No more than two of everything not a cupboardfull, not that we have the room anyway. I had been doing that since January this year. All I need now is fresh stuff.

A local supermarket (Sainsbury's) have a local store and a large supermarket both a walk away from where I live. The supermarket opens at 8 a.m. for the elderly (elderly Moi?) and I tried it out today to get the lie of the land. I am a carer and have underlying health issues myself so have to be careful. I experienced one of the few times when age is a virtue. As a 70+ (how did I reach 78? that's another story) I was allowed into the store ahead of the queue that had already been gathering at 8:30.

I was out again in ten minutes with just the shopping I needed, all fresh goods and a couple of veggie things for elderly neighbours. The smaller store had already advised me that if I arrived at 1:30 p.m. they would have received fresh milk. We get through about 3 quarts per week. The last thing I want s to have to rely on my lovely daughter who has her own family to care for. She is willing but as far as I am able, then I will do as I am doing.

Do I feel smug? No, I feel blessed that we are still safe, can help our elderly neighbours too, and now I know where it's at. I wear gloves when I'm out and take a thin rubber glove to wear in the store when I am handling things. When I arrive back home, I go straight away to wash my hands well in sanitised soap. I wipe down the shopping where I can with a sanitised wipe and wash the gloves I wore that day. I have washable shopping bags too.

I am now planning to use the bicycle that I purchased last year, a slightly lighter one, as I now have something that causes pain in my right shoulder that I can never remember the name of. I also want to take advantage of the very good weather now. The best thing is that the streets are clear, almost totally. I spoke to our GP who advised that what I was doing was perfectly acceptable as I must keep moving (I usually walk 3,000 to 3,500 steps each day) and he approved of it. Besides which I have a sick husband to care for.

So from our corner of the world we are starting to go through it. It's very scary for some people and it may be that they simply do not realise the seriousness of it all. We are on lock-down, I cannot really see my daughter or grandchildren or Neo the dog that I was looking after twice a week. I think the urge to hug them would be too great. We talk on the phone and text and my daughter is there to shop if I need it . I insist she leaves it on the doorstep and we have a few words from at least 2 metres away. It's too heartbreaking to linger.

I was born early during WW2 and I remember rationing, queues and only buying sweets when I could get a sweet ration coupon (food rationing went on during the war until a long while after it ended) when I would rush to the local confectioners and we would buy Spearmint Chews and Sherbert dips with Liquorice. Chocolate was harder to come by. I didn't eat a banana until I was quite a grown child. But I have no complaints about my childhood.

I am hopeful that perhaps the world will wake up to a new way of life, reflecting on how they could stop being selfish, look out for others and keeping well, so that at times like this, and there will unfortunately be others, they will be one jump ahead both for themselves and for their families. One glorious by product is that Venice Canals are running clear.
Maybe we can save the planet after all, it's just a hard lesson to learn.

So Steemit users, take care of yourselves and your families and others and self isolate, it's the only way we'll get through this until a vaccine against it is discovered. That may not be until the next time.

The point about ending dreadful event quickly is not by by sending people back to work before the numbers drop. It would only be possible if testing was very widespread. If you can test everyone and sort out the ones who having contracted it and gotten over it, and are immune, then they could go back to the workforce. But that takes testing and that's in short supply everywhere.

God Bless the health workers, the doctors, nurses and auxiliary workers, the and those who are working at a variety of jobs to keep us all well and safe and fed during this Pandemic. There, I've said it, a word I've never needed to use and I never imagined I'd live through one. I aim to do just that.

Stay well.