Government bread has mostly done its job in Colombia, but when the lights go out - the people come out. Widespread looting, damage, destruction and anger are all the symptoms we are seeing in the US, and now most of the world.

How long before it comes to Colombia in a big way?

Dear Diary, I think it's time to talk about Staying Safe

Let's back up a moment. I keep telling myself that I need to talk about the mundane things of life in Colombia, pictures of exotic fruits - mountains - coffee, all the things I LOVE. But, reality is always there in the morning when I wake up and look at all my news feeds (SteveQuayle, Facebook, WhatsApp etc).

Exotic fruits and coffee just aren't as cool when you aren't even comfortable enough to enjoy them, so here I go talking about the CRAZY instead of the pretty, yet rather normal stuff. I promise at some point during #the100daysofsteam to take some time to show you all the reasons I LOVE living abroad in Colombia. But not today.

Fast forward again...

Most of my native country is pissed off and building homemade bombs, grabbing guns and having family chats about "Is this civil war?" or they are praying that the government saves the day.

In Colombia, things have been deceptively calm. Like the quiet before the storm, it is way more freaky than the violence we are seeing in the US. It has me wondering, "are they brainwashed?" Is there something going on that I am not seeing.

I am actually a type of independent journalist - I have been documenting the chemicals they are fumigating us with in the streets, the overreaching lockdown, and I might have called the mayor a terrorist this morning. All in a days work.

This whole thing has my spidey instincts on overdrive because it all seems kinda "off." Already I am hearing rumors from other friends and colleagues about people having their groceries stolen, and even being killed for them (Bogota), groups of angry people (many Venezuelans) looting and rioting up on the Caribbean Coast (Cartagena). Oh, and I even tried to sell some Personal Protective Equipment to someone in Medellin, but they don't want it "on paper" which is money laundering - clever eh?

Here in the Coffee Axis, also known as the Coffee Triangle, things are still very calm. Maybe the only thing holding people at bay are the massive food distributions which local governments are engaged in. But still, there are many neighborhoods which have red flags in the window (sign of hunger/need). And for how much longer?

It's time to think about how we are going to stay safe.

Life is for living, so don't ever expect me to be the type to talk about wearing face masks and staying home. But, we are reaching a crossroads where we may have to really consider taking a few precautions. Here is my list of "staying alive" tips for times of Coronavirus:

1. Don't show wealth. This is not your day to put on a rolex and look really fly while you are on the go. I'm guilty of this because I like to wear silver or gold and look a bit "put together" when I am out in public due to the publicity I have here.
2. Only carry what you need - the rest stashed on your person. Even before this happened, I always have had the habit of not really carrying money in my wallet or purse, but instead in shirt/pant pockets or any other subtle yet ready means.
3. Don't get friendly with neighbors. I say hi and good morning to my neighbors, I chat with them in the street. But, they NEVER get invited into my house. Not that I have much, but I don't want them comparing their "things" to mine.
4. Have a plan B. My mother and I are actually having those talks of "if this, then that." This includes defense, natural disasters and communications being taken down. Whatever the case, know what to do and where to go.
5. Don't trust anyone. My circle of friends is shrinking almost daily. I can count on one hand the people I trust and never even reach the number five. Know who you can keep close and the rest outside that circle.

Obviously I could go to 10, but I don't like long lists. Perhaps I will follow up in a future diary about where things go as we get deeper into the month of June.

Point is, we are living in the most exciting, crazy yet dangerous times of our lives. We can't get too wild in our speculations, but we can definitely enjoy it as a fun ride while wearing our seatbelts.

A huge thanks to @steamcurators for their attentiveness, they are definitely not the type of curators who are giving cursory glances never to return. They are here, they are listening and they are supporting our work!

A quick shoutout to @ciska for taking the time to read and comment on yesterdays post, I see the people who support my work and I try to never forget them!

Until tomorrow...

If you feel a kindred spirit in my diary about times of coronavirus, pressure and overcoming - then do your part to help a neighbor get through to the other side by upvoting and/or giving me a resteem of this post. Tell a friend - and join #thediarygame so we can all bring home the rewards of high quality content curation on the @Steemit ecosystem.