FACING A POST PANDEMIC WORLD

We’re getting our vaccines this week. After the second booster shot, we’ll be good to go. But where? How soon will we get our lives back? If you visited East Germany decades after the end of WWII, you could still see the effects of that devastating event. Shattered windows, bombed buildings. The post war period was a time of hard-sharp and suffering that lasted for years. This covid-19 pandemic has been compared to a world wide war. How can anyone believe that everything will be the same when it’s finally over?

About a month after being vaccinated, we should feel a bit less apprehensive about shopping, socializing, and visiting relatives. But we octogenarians comprise only 4% of the population. Which means that 96% of the people we see every day are still vulnerable. Yes, we can feel safe eating in restaurants and visiting relatives, but we’ll still have to wear masks and social distance.

The stock market is booming. People who kept their jobs now have bulging bank accounts, because they haven’t had anywhere to spend their money. Investors are betting that a huge buying spree is on the horizon. But is it? Will you ever feel the same in a crowded theatre with the sounds of people coughing and sneezing? Remember all those conferences you attended for work? You got to see cities and visit places you’d never been before, and it was all paid for. But do you really want to sit in stuffy conference rooms listening to presentations, while seated next to strangers from all over the world? And what about indoor sporting events? Remember the first cases of Covid in this country came from the gymnasium of a basketball game.

I grew up in the era of the big department stores. Even in our small town, we had a couple of them. You could spend half a day smelling the perfume, trying on clothes, going from department to department just to dream about all the dazzling merchandise. Guess what, most of those stores are gone. Shopping online isn’t half as much fun. And often you have to go to the bother of dealing with returns.

Are we ever going to feel perfectly safe without masks during the flu season? Will we shake hands when introduced to someone? A cougher or a sneezer will not be welcome anywhere. We all know too much about the way viruses are spread.

Millions of people have lost jobs or closed their small businesses. Their lives will never be the same. After climbing out of debt, they’ll have to re invent themselves and start all over again.

Are you ready to face a post pandemic world?

August 24, 2020August 25, 2020

FRONT PORCH IS A GODSEND NOW

Do you like old houses? If so, you’re definitely in the minority. Most realtors will tell you that they’re a hard sell. It’s amazing to see all the new subdivisions popping up all over town. And houses in every price range are selling like hotcakes. On the other hand, my husband and I live in a house that’s over 100 years old, and we’ve always loved everything about it. The beamed ceilings, pillared doorways, wooden floors. But now, one special feature of old houses has proved to be a blessing. The front porch is a godsend now, during this covid-19 pandemic.

A front porch is a blessing during the covid 19 pandemic — A front porch is a godsend during this pandemic. Friends can visit in fresh air, while social distancing.

For one thing, we’re not stuck inside the house all day—even if it’s raining. Except for the winter months, we always sit on the front porch and have a cool drink in the late afternoon. We live along a busy street, and simply watch the cars go by, or people of various ages and sizes jogging or strolling. It’s fun to see the different outfits people wear. Some are half-naked, sweat dripping off their shoulders. Others are covered in black workout clothes. And then, there are the babies in strollers, and families with little children. Until Covid-19, we didn’t realize how much we enjoyed this evening parade.

But the best thing about our porch during this pandemic is the opportunity to visit safely with family and friends who stop by . The porch is wide enough for social distancing if there’s only four of us. Right now, we’ve been starved for company and social interaction. But if a neighbor stops by to say hello, we feel safe inviting them to sit and chat for a few minutes while sitting in the fresh air. They may or may not wear masks. Sometimes we do, and sometimes we don’t, depending on how confident we are that they aren’t carrying the virus. We don’t invite them inside. But when they leave, we feel satisfied that we’ve seen and talked with someone we care about. Before the pandemic, we never appreciated how important that is. We took those random social interactions for granted.

Front porches are seeing a revival the past few years. Builders are beginning to include them in design plans. And if you’re lucky enough to have a front porch during this pandemic, put it near the top of your gratitude list.

June 5, 2020June 5, 2020

HOW HAVE YOU CHANGED?

Have you ever been on a retreat? When I attended parochial school years ago, we were often scheduled to go on retreat. This meant maybe 3 days of silence and prayer. You didn’t talk to your friends. kept your mouth shut, studied the bible, listened to sermons, and prayed. The purpose was to renew your faith, and refocus your life. Covid-19 has sent almost all of us on another kind of retreat. Away from the world you’ve known and the life you’ve always lived, you may end up with a new set of values. How Have You Changed during your Stay-At-Home Days?

Most everyone with a steady job enjoyed the extra sleep when working from home. You’d forgotten how much better you feel when not sleep deprived. Now, instead of staying up late watching TV, working on a project, or partying, you may strive to get at least seven hours sleep each night.

Staying at home during covid-19 has been a retreat. How Have You changed — How Have You changed while staying at home?

Improved hygiene. Did everyone wash their hands as often as they do now? I suspect that long after we return to normal life, we will have changed our hand washing habits. Which will lead to less sickness and fewer colds in the winter.

The pleasure of home cooked meals. . Yes, you’re tired of all the cooking, but you’ve probably tried some new recipes and gained confidence in your own culinary skills.

Finding out what you really don’t like. As an example, you’ve played competitive bridge for years. You thought you couldn’t live with out those endless bridge games . Surprisingly, you find you don’t miss them at all: The self blaming when you bid wrong or reneged. The mean spirited competition. No more sleepless nights going over a botched play, or a bad score. When the quarantine is over, you may decide to play less bridge, , and find other ways to entertain yourself. Like reading, or spending more time outside.

Hair styles. Most of us had routine hair appointments, wore the same style, and applied the same color for years. . You’ve almost forgotten your natural color, and it might surprise you to see that you really like it. Or you can try out a different color. You may find that you look better with longer hair, too. Many of us will look entirely different when we finally venture out into society.

How have you changed these past few months? Have you found the real you?

May 22, 2020May 22, 2020

BEWARE OF CHAOS AT UPS

Why didn’t I realize UPS would be a zoo? Because of the pandemic, everyone’s buying all their stuff online, then returning half of it. In this case, my finger slipped on the keypad when ordering a jigsaw puzzle. Or maybe it was Amazon’s mistake. At any rate, we received two of the same puzzle. Since we couldn’t think of anyone who would want it, returning it seemed like the best move. I printed out a return label and drove to the store. It is usually a very quiet, uncrowded place, but not now. Beware of chaos at the UPS Store.

The only store in our city is five miles away. It’s an extremely small office, dark, with low ceilings. Remember, we’re supposed to avoid small, crowded, enclosed places now, right? Anyway, I drove into the parking lot and stopped to put on my mask and gloves. Looking in the window, I could see two people with stacks of packages to be processed by one clerk. I guess these were “pick up” items. I didn’t know about scheduling a pick up, but I do now. There were several people standing in line for the other clerk. It looked like I was in for a long wait.

Many customers not wearing masks at UPS store. Beware of chaos. — UPS clerks wear masks, but many customers don’t. Beware of chaos at the UPS Store.

I picked up the puzzle and Amazon return paperwork, and stood outside the door, thinking it would be safer to wait in the fresh air. I’d no sooner got there, when two younger people got out of their cars and proceeded to open the door. “I’m waiting in a line, here,” I said. Neither of them were masked. They glanced at me briefly, brushed past . and went on in.

Okay, I was mad. I took a few deep breaths to control my rage, but it wasn’t having the desired effect. Two things seemed very wrong here. #1 They weren’t wearing masks. Inside, both clerks were masked. Did these people not respect the health and safety of the UPS employees? #2 They had pushed ahead of me, taking advantage of the fact that I was social distancing. Now, it was even more crowded inside.

At that point, another woman got out of her car. She looked at me and said, ‘I forgot my mask.” Went back to her car, returned, and stood at a safe distance behind me to wait her turn. Well, at least there are some decent people in the world.

As the two offenders left the store after completing their business, I went into crabby old lady mode. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” I said. But they weren’t. Not in the least.

What goes through the mind of the unmasked during this coronavirus pandemic? Do they think they’re immune because they are younger? If so, they should look at the demographics on the department of health website. The majority of cases in our state of Indiana are with people age 20 to 60. Worse yet, do they not care that they could be infecting their fellow human beings? Don’t they have any respect for the store clerks who are risking their own health to serve them every day?

Beware of chaos at the UPS store.

April 15, 2020April 15, 2020

7 lessons learned from COVID-19 crisis

Looks like we’re flattening the curve on coronavirus cases. The end isn’t here, but it’s coming. In a couple of months, we’ll be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. But things will never be the same. Here are seven lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis.

1. Saving for a rainy day is good advice. I know it’s not possible for everyone. Stuff happens, and you find yourself in a hole, living paycheck to paycheck. I’ve been there, done that, and know how it feels. And yet, many folks who could have established an emergency fund didn’t. They maxed out their credit cards on boats, trips to Disneyland, eating out, and other stuff they didn’t really need. I hope their unemployment and stimulus checks tide them over now. But when they finally get back on their feet, they really need to cut out some of the unnecessary spending. And make it a point to save a certain percent of their income for a rainy day.

2. You can keep ripe bananas in the frig. Shopping habits changed the past few months. Instead of going to the grocery several times a week, we had to cut it down to once or twice. Planning ahead was a necessity. And if you bought enough bananas ahead of time, they were apt to spoil before your next trip. My husband and I split part of a banana every day—him for his cereal, mine for smoothies. Although you’re always told you can’t refrigerate ripe bananas, the fact is, you can—for a couple of days. The skin may turn dark, but the inside is still fresh and sweet.

3. Everyone should wash their hands more often. Many of us were lax about that. How many times have you seen someone leave a public restroom without washing? But I think everyone has it in their heads now: Washing your hands will keep you from getting the flu, colds, and other types of infections. If you didn’t know it before the covid-19 outbreak, you know it now.

4. Higher education is more important than ever. During the past decade, I’ve met many bright young people who dropped out of college because they could make so much money in tips at upscale restaurants. Those people are now drawing unemployment. Those with college degrees are more likely to have jobs that pay them to work from home. Others who learned a skilled trade find their services in high demand. A two year degree may pay off just as well as a four year degree. If you have the academic ability, get some training and education beyond high school. Don’t rely on tips to fulfill your dreams.

7 lessons learned from COVID-19 CRISIS. Immunity, education, saving, good health habits, sunshine all have an effect — Open office space can be hazardous to your health.: 7 lessons learned from COVID-19 crisis.

5. Open spaces offices are bad for your health. 70% of modern offices have no walls. You’re forced to work close beside other people , breathing in whatever they’re breathing out in the way of viruses . It’s been shown that open office spaces make people less productive and healthy. Without walls or barriers in front of you, a virus can spread very easily. Companies should go back to providing offices or at least cubicles, where employees can enjoy a little peace, quiet, and cleaner air.

6. Find some old fashioned pastimes that don’t require wireless. Jigsaw puzzles, cards, board games, crossword puzzles, just to name a few. Or creative activities like painting, sewing or woodworking. There could be a national crisis that involves an internet blackout. What will you do to pass the time, then?

7. Unfiltered sunlight is good for you, in small doses. Sunscreens prevent cancer, but they also block the production of vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for a good immune system. Doctors now recommend that you wait 15 minutes before applying sunscreen if you’re out in the sunlight.

Americans are resilient and smart. They will make it through this crisis and also learn their lessons.

April 13, 2020April 14, 2020

Stay At Home Diary: Week 5

I thought we were weren’t too stressed about the lock down, but I think the anxiety of the coronavirus is causing a few somatic symptoms. I used to have panic attacks when I was a teen, so I remember what they’re like. This week, I woke up and felt one coming on again. Luckily, my “Calm” App was there to get me through it. Just a few deep breaths and I was okay. I’m having flashbacks to WWII and later, the polio epidemic that paralyzed so many young people when I was growing up. My husband is a diabetic. Now, he’s having problems controlling his blood sugar. Although he seems outwardly calm, the stress may be raising his sugar. He will have to call his doctor next week.

Tornado in nearby county this week. 70 mph winds here. Blew our mail box down and broke it. The mailman drove right on by without delivering our mail. I called the post office, and the next day, we got a packet of mail tied with a string which said, “box down.” This is not a good time to install a new mailbox.

Venturing out once a week to shop in my coronavirus gear. Cap, glasses, face mask, gloves. Muslim women who wear burkas don’t have to worry about all that. They’re already dressed for the pandemic.

Forgot it was Easter week until too late. Got online to order Easter Crème Eggs from Fannie May for all my grandchildren, and it turns out you can’t have them shipped any more. For the first time in their lives, my children did not receive any Easter candy from me. I sure miss seeing my youngest grandson with a smear of chocolate on his face. He does love those chocolate bunnies.

On Easter morning, my girls arranged a group skype. We had never done that before and it felt very cool. But then, they pointed out that Skype is so outdated that they almost forgot how navigate it. Seems everyone uses apps like Zoom conferencing. They think that’s probably beyond my technological capacity, but I’m going to watch some you tube tutorials and surprise them.

Slim pickings in our daily newspapers on Easter Sunday. No grocery store ads. Reporters have been furloughed, and there are fewer pages to read. We used to spend an hour going over both papers, but this Sunday it took about ten minutes. At least we can still read the funnies

Geese in park don't worryabout coronavirus — Geese in the park aren’t worried about COVID-19. Stay At Home Diary: Week 5

Still walking when weather permits, and trying to get 15 minutes of unfiltered sunlight every day it doesn’t rain. Geese in the park aren’t worried about coronavirus. And a robin is building a nest in the bush beside our porch.

Life goes on.

March 25, 2020March 25, 2020

PATIENT PRIVACY VS. NEED TO KNOW

Having been a hospital department manager for over 25 years, I know the importance of patient privacy. It was strictly enforced when my father was in for a stroke. I was banned from reading his chart, due to privacy laws. This meant that people working for me could read his chart, if they were authorized, but I could not. Therefore, they could not share any information about his condition with me. I understood that. However, during this coronavirus epidemic, I think we should make a distinction between patient privacy vs. need to know.

When the crisis first started, we were told the names of some of the patients– where they worshiped, and where they lived. Often, we heard that they had recently been to China or some out of state convention. Many people were willing to self report ( actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson) But now, we aren’t being told much about the patients, except their general age group. Different states are willing to share more information than others. The state of Washington freely reported the number of nursing home patients with the coronavirus.

My county currently has 3 active corona cases, which isn’t too bad, yet. We’re a relatively small town (pop 60,000). But I want to know a bit more. In such a small community, I think we have that right.

This is what I believe the people in this county should know: Where were the patients before coming down with the virus? Did they go to the grocery store where I shop before they were diagnosed? Or to the church I attended? Were they college students? If so, which college? A snowbird returning to Indiana from another state? What state? A nursing home resident? If so, which nursing home? Did they smoke, making them more susceptible to complications?

It's important to know if we've been in the same places as COVID-19 patients. — We have to weigh the importance of Patient Privacy vs. Need to Know. You should know if you’ve recently been in the vicinity of someone with COVID-19.

I suppose the response would be that it doesn’t really make any difference. If we’re washing hands, maintaining social distance, etc. , it’s not important whether or not we’ve been near that person or know when or where he might have contracted the disease. But psychologically, I think it does make a difference. If I have shopped at a different supermarket in another end of town, or haven’t attended their Church, or visited anyone in that nursing home, I can have a little peace of mind, knowing my risk is lower. However, if I have been in the vicinity of the sick person, I’ll need to be extra vigilant regarding any new symptoms. If I get a cough or cold, I have to face the reality that I could have contracted the virus. And get tested if I start feeling worse.

There’s a difference between patient privacy and the need to know. Right now, we’re being given Too Little Information as to where COVID-19 might have been swirling in the air around us.

That being said, I think Indiana’s Governor Holcomb has done a fantastic job of managing the crisis and providing statistics. And I’m proud of my fellow Hoosiers who have social distanced without complaint.