TOUGHING IT OUT ISN’T NOBLE

There’s a lot of sickness going around these days. Hospitals are at capacity, and it seems like half the people we know are not feeling well. Nevertheless, a lot of them keep carrying on. Going to work, shopping, attending social events—which only prolongs their illness. For some reason, many people consider it a badge of honor to keep going when they’re sick. However, if you catch whatever it is they have, you will not agree. Toughing it out isn’t always noble.

Decades ago, I worked for a hospital that had a very generous sick pay policy. So generous that they paid you at the end of the year for whatever sick days you hadn’t taken. Consequently, many of the lower paid employees in dietary, housekeeping and laundry came to work sick. Because they needed that end of year pay out to catch up on their bills. Eventually, someone in human resources realized the folly of that policy, and stopped the non used sick pay bonus.. Which made all the healthy people feel like they were being penalized for taking better care of themselves. From an employer standpoint, it was a no win situation. Damned if they did, or didn’t .

Last month, the rail workers union was prepared to go on strike because they don’t get paid for sick days. I can’t say I blame them, and I find it appalling that any company would want someone with the flu or covid to come in and spread their sickness around to all their co-workers.

Aside from the sick pay issue, there is also the problem of people going out to parties and other social occasions when they’re coughing and sneezing in someone’s face. Why do they do it? Are they afraid their hosts will be offended if they don’t attend a birthday party? Or is their social life more important then their own health and the wellness of others who come down sick after being near them? Maybe they’re afraid their relatives will be offended if they don’t show up for Christmas Dinner or some other family event. If that’s the case, there’s something wrong with anyone who would wants a sick person sitting next to them or across the table. I think most hostesses would prefer you stay at home.

For heaven’s sake, stay home when’s you’re sick. Rest is the only way to get well, and keep yOu from contaminating others. Toughing it out isn’t always noble or heroic.

March 8, 2022

DEJA VU: WW2 CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Most Americans have no childhood memories of living in a nation at war. Worries of being bombed, killed, or captured never cast a shadow over their growing-up years. Yes, we’ve sent our young men overseas to fight in many foreign wars, but the threat of it occurring here in the United States never entered their minds. But if you’re in your 80’s or 90’s, it’s DEJA VU: WW2 childhood memories come back to haunt us during the war in Ukraine..

DEJA VU: World War 2 childhood memories come back to haunt us. — DEJA VU: WW2 Childhood Memories haunt us as refugees flee from Ukraine War with Russia.

This is how it felt to a 5 year old girl, when we heard America had entered World War II. I remember my father standing in front of the radio, jiggling the change in his pocket. My mother cried in the kitchen as she mashed the potatoes. My older siblings sat quietly, while I danced around the living room, blissfully unaware of the horrors that lay ahead for our country. Daddy had four children, so he wasn’t drafted. But my uncle only had three kids, and he had to go in the army. He stopped by our house the night before he left, and the grown ups drank a lot of beer. That was a year or so into the war, when they were running out of able bodied men to fight the Axis powers..

Many things were rationed, including gas. We walked to school or into town. Our old Chevie was used only for going to Church, or to drive my father back and forth to work. You got tokens for rationed items like coffee and sugar. I didn’t have real ice cream until I was ten years old. Grandpa was a farmer, so we had more red meat on the table than our neighbors. Still, we ate a lot of Spam. Nobody complained about any of these sacrifices. We were willing to do anything it took to provide our army with whatever they needed to defeat the Axis.

There was fear in the air, although our parents put on a brave front. If a freight train rumbled through town at night, I awakened with anxiety, sure that the Germans were marching into town.. Secretly, I assembled a first aid kit with band aids and iodine and cloth bandages, in case a bomb dropped on our city. We had air raid sirens and blackouts and other activities to prepare us for a foreign invasion. Walking home from school, you saw blue and gold stars hanging in front windows. Sometimes, you heard a mother crying with a telegram in her hand, while neighbors gathered round to comfort. Meanwhile, children in Europe actually were being bombed, maimed, killed and starved in the horrors of war.

When you spend the first years of your life under the cloud of war, you never really forget. . What will the children of Ukraine remember, and how will they ever recover from the terrors they’ve endured while fleeing for their lives and struggling to survive as refugees in a foreign land.

Now I look at my grandchildren and wonder how it will affect their outlook on life. First, they’ve endured years of isolation due to the Covid pandemic.. Now, they’re seeing Ukraine children crammed onto trains, and kissing their fathers good bye. Perhaps we grandparents understand what they’re going through, more than their own parents, who grew up in a country that felt peaceful and safe.

DÉJÀ VU: WW2 Childhood memories come back to haunt us.

March 5, 2022March 5, 2022

BIDEN’S MASKS A LITTLE TOO LATE

As Omicron cases skyrocketed throughout the country, we heard that the government would send virus test kits to everyone in the United States. Not sure how they compiled that list, but I applied for ours over the internet. I think that was a few months back, when our county was in the red. Meaning, we had over 200 cases per 100,000 residents, each week. Actually, we had closer to 400 cases . So we needed those tests right away. But we just got them a couple of weeks ago. Then, they announced they were going to distribute N95 surgical masks throughout the US via pharmacies and grocery stores. Unfortunately, Biden’s masks were a little too late.

Biden's Masks Came a little too late. Nobody needs them now. — BIDEN’S MASKS CAME A LITTLE TOO LATE. Mandates have been lifted, and these free N95 respirators are uncomfortable.

Our county Covid cases have plummeted in the past week or so, and the governor has lifted all mask mandates. Therefore , when I walked into Walgreens and saw a stacks of N95 “respirators” on a shelf near the door, I assumed they were trying to get rid of them. Especially since there was a big sign that said “FREE N95 masks.” There were about 25 respirators/ masks in each package.

I put one package in my cart, figuring there would be some glitch at the checkout. Do pharmacies ever give anything away? “As these really free?” I asked the cashier. “Yes,” she said proudly, “those are Biden’s masks.”

Ironically, most people have stopped wearing masks while shopping, since the government has told us it’s okay. However, I decided to try one during my next shopping trip. And let me tell you, they are not user friendly. Instead of hooking behind your ear, the two elastic straps must go over your head, and fit tightly. Thereby destroying any carefully blow dried hairdo. Appearance and comfort must be sacrificed for air tight protection . Which means you will seldom see anyone wearing them, even though they didn’t cost a penny. However, I would have been more than willing to wear an N95 respirator two years ago.

According to the CDC , we’ re only entitled to 3 free N95 respirators. But now, nobody wants to wear them at all. Which may be why the drug stores are giving them away in packs of 25. Biden’s masks came a little too late.

March 1, 2022March 1, 2022

HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU COVID PANICKED?

Covid panic attacks were something new to me. I remember my first one, after a family gathering on a Sunday in March of 2019. Our county had only a handful of cases then, so there wasn’t a lot to worry about. And then, the CDC rang the alarm bells. I woke up that next morning with a stuffy nose and slightly scratchy throat. Not at all unusual, because I have year round allergies. But this time, I felt prickles of alarm under my skin. The next two days had me in a state of worry. Was I coming down with Covid? Finally , I calmed down, thinking that was the last time I would have such a scare. But it wasn’t. How often have you Covid panicked these past couple of years?

At first, since we had under 10 cases in our city I decided it would be safe to go shopping Only a few people wore masks. But I had a box of surgery masks that I began to use immediately. Along with hand sanitizer and gloves. As the weeks wore on, panic began to spread in our city as cases rose.

Once, I was grocery shopping when I heard someone cry out “don’t wear those gloves.” Startled, I turned to see an angry masked woman standing a few feet away. “Don’t you know those things spread the virus?” She said. “I’m a nurse, and I know.” She proceeded to show me how you touch everything with your gloves, then your face and skin, etc.” She said using hand sanitizer was the only safe way to go.

I realized that as a nurse, she was in a heightened state of fear because by now, she had seen people die of Covid. So I didn’t argue with her. But I did remove my gloves in the car and apply more hand sanitizer. I used so much of that stuff in the next year that my fingers began to itch and burn.

Nevertheless, I wasn’t about to give up my shopping trips. , I only went out once a week ,and came back with a car trunk loaded with bags .Afterwards, , I might have another Covid panic . I heard rumors of people who had caught the virus on trips to the pharmacy while picking up prescriptions.

It was another year before the vaccine was developed, and we were the first in line to get one. After our second shot, we thought we were back to normal. Went out to dinner Celebrated birthdays. No more Covid panic attacks. Had a great summer in 2020—even celebrated my birthday with children and grandchildren from afar. Got a booster shot in the Fall of 2021. Then came omicron, hundreds of cases, and we were back to masking, staying home, and yes, having covid panic attacks after shopping trips..

The cases are beginning to ebb, and soon, we can stopping wearing masks. However, a lot of us will never feel quite so safe again when shopping. How often have you Covid panicked in the last two years?

October 6, 2021October 6, 2021

SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS ARE HEROES

Many school days have been cancelled throughout the nation this past week. But it’s not directly due to the Covid-19 outbreak. It’s because there’s a shortage of school bus drivers. The truth is, they’ve never had the respect they deserve. No sure why that is. But it’s time we recognize the fact that it’s a very difficult occupation. School bus drivers are heroes.

Most of us try to avoid getting stuck in traffic behind a school bus. It’s annoying having to stop every time they do, and wait while the kids disembark. My children walked to school (in the good old days when it wasn’t considered child neglect, so I had never met a school bus driver until recently. And now, I have a new respect for the brave souls who assume such awesome responsibility. Hooray for School Bus Drivers.

School bus drivers are heroes. It's an occupation carrying great responsibility. — School bus drivers are heroes. They often drive in bad weather conditions, and they’re responsible for many children.

My school bus driver is someone I met while doing water aerobics. First, I must describe her appearance because she’s straight out of central casting. A bit plump, bright blue eyes, rosy cheeks, short blond hair, and a a warm smile. She loves to chat with everyone, regardless of their color or social status.

That morning, it was extremely cold outside, and I asked her how she felt about driving on icy roads. She replied, ‘I just go very very slow.” She added that a bus is extremely heavy, and doesn’t perform too well on ice. ” It simply rolls, pretty much out of control, and you just have to hang on and hope it doesn’t end up in a ditch.” That’s when I realized what a tremendous responsibility these people have. I think that the first time my school bus rolled off the road, I would turn in my badge.

In the locker room, we continued our conversation about her job. She takes it very seriously. “I’m the first person they see in the morning on their way to school, and the last person they see before they get home,” she said. “So I always greet them with a smile, and tell them goodbye as they leave.”

She paused a minute, and looked off into the distance. “I really love my kids,” she said. “And I’ll bet they love you,” I replied. She looked pensive for a moment. “Yes,” she said. “they do.” Knowing this lady, I’m sure she is loved by all the kids, even the unruly ones. She’s a strong woman, who probably has to intervene in many fights and endures a bit of back talk from time to time. And yet, she loves her job.

Now, when I see a school bus, I imagine it’s my friend behind the wheel, and I no longer feel annoyed when I see the brake lights and the stop sign goes out. It won’t be long until we have the first snow in much of the United States, with treacherous driving conditions. I’ll be thinking about all these unsung heroes and wishing them Godspeed.

Yes, school bus drivers are heroes.

September 29, 2021September 29, 2021

COMMON COLD MAKES A COMEBACK

Every since the Covid-19 pandemic began, I didn’t have a single cold or bout with the flu. Thanks to all the masking, social isolation, and hand sanitizer, my body was shielded from those nasty cold viruses for a year and a half. In fact, the last cold I experienced was in February of 2020—right before we found out we were facing a pandemic. It was a really bad cold that went on for a month (might have even been the virus). But then the world got turned upside down, and I forgot what it was like to be sick. Now, the common cold makes a comeback.

In case you’ve forgotten, a cold creeps up on you gradually. You’re unusually tired for a couple of days. Then you feel a sneeze coming on. Next day, you’re feeling achy and just plain awful. It’s scary. Are you coming down with the virus? No temperature yet, or other symptoms like a cough, fever, diarrhea, etc. However, you make up your mind if it gets any worse, you’ll get tested. Lose a good night’s sleep with worry.. And then, you wake up, sit out in the sun, (yes it’s back to 80 degrees) and start feeling better. And that’s when realize you just had a plain, ordinary cold. On top of allergic rhinitis, maybe., because this is ragweed season. It all feels the same.

They say a change in weather makes you more susceptible to sinus problems. Last week, the weather went from 90 degrees, to an overnight 46. Cold rain thrown in to the mix. Being a fresh air nut, I’d left the windows open. Apparently, abrupt changes in temperature lower the immune system. It didn’t help the next day when I went grocery shopping during a cold, windy downpour. Only half the people at the supermarket were wearing masks. No one was social distancing in the long lines at the checkout.

Our defenses have gone down this past month, even though Covid cases have increased. People have stopped using hand sanitizer and started going to restaurants and shops. Most have quit wearing masks. The weather is often cold and rainy. And even though we’ve been vaccinated, we’re being exposed to germs that cause the common cold and the flu. The scary return of the common cold is a reality. Be careful. Mask up. Use hand sanitizer. Don’t catch a cold if you can help it. .

August 18, 2021August 20, 2021

FEELING THOSE AUGUST BLUES?

Have you been feeling more than a little anxious lately? Or maybe a bit depressed? What’s wrong, you wonder. You look out the window and see flowers blooming, and the sun shining. That’s should make you happy, but it doesn’t. Take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. You’re feeling those August Blues.

Psychologists have various explanations. First of all, you’re sick and tired of the heat and humidity. The hot weather was fun at first. You could walk through the park, go on picnics, and watch the fireworks on the 4^th of July. But come August, there’s nothing much to look forward to, and Labor Day seems a long way off. Many people are posting pictures of their wonderful vacations. But you’re stuck at home for various reasons. Everyone seems to be having fun but you.

Worse yet, in the middle of August, fall allergies start to kick in. Sneezing, and feelings of fatigue are dragging you down. The various antihistamines offer some relief, but all come with side effects. You’re either groggy or wired, depending on what you decide to take. All you can hope for is the first frost, which kills the nasty pollen. But with global warming, that day may not come until November. So you’re facing a couple of months of taking meds and feeling woozy.

August is also a time for going back to school, which may trigger bad memories. That was often a difficult time for many of us who dreaded the routines, the interaction with “mean girls,” and the loss of freedom that comes with in-person schooling.

This month, the outlook for the Covid-19 epidemic seems dismal. Last summer, we thought it would all be over by now. But it’s getting worse with the delta variant that’s caused a surge in hospitalizations.

And now, there’s the bad news coming out of Afghanistan. No matter how you felt about our involvement in the war, you can’t help but mourn the way it’s turned out. The abrupt withdrawal, with men falling to their death from airplanes while trying to escape. The cruel fate awaiting women. The executions and beheadings. This is like reading The Diary of Anne Pfrank. How can this be happening in our modern world?

According to psychologists, summertime depression often brings insomnia, loss of appetite, weight loss and feelings of agitation or anxiety.

Like any other form of depression, you can use various coping mechanisms. Meditation. Yoga. Distractions. Self Care. You might even seek counseling. Meanwhile, you’re feeling those August Blues.