HOW CAN TWO DAYS BE SO DIFFERENT?

HOW CAN TWO DAYS BE SO DIFFERENT?

What a difference a day makes! Friday was our last day to enjoy our Mazatlan winter vacation and Sunday we were back home in Calgary.

FRIDAY was a typical day, similar to so many of the 65 days we spent in Mexico. I was awakened about 6 a.m. by the cooing of the local doves or pigeons and then the morning symphony of a dozen yapping and barking dogs announcing their importance. I turned off the air conditioner and made a small pot of coffee to help me navigate through my daily computer ritual of emails, favourite websites and a variety of newspaper online pages. In an hour, I donned my daily wardrobe of a T-shirt, shorts, and sandals and headed off for my morning walk around the neighbourhood. The sun was just beginning to burn the night chill away and businesses were setting up for the day. Restaurants were filling with tourists and locals all leisurely enjoying a typical breakfast. The main street beside our condo was humming with buses, taxis, motorbikes, and cars as everyone was scurrying to get to work. As I often did, I wandered over to the beach, a block away, to check on the tides and just watch the magic of wave after wave rolling in. In a park beside our beach, dozens of men were erecting a stage for a musical performance later in the day and dozens of others were erecting beer and food tents. A concert, beer fest, and truck show would be attended by hundreds that evening to celebrate as only Mexicans can. I happily wandered home to plot out the rest of my activities for our last day. 

SATURDAY was a travel day when we returned home.

SUNDAY was a day of total contrasts. I awoke at about 7 a.m. as I had set my internal alarm the night before, knowing that the nearest Safeway store opened at 7. On any other Sunday that would be insignificant, but today I was strongly motivated to refill our fridge and pantry because we had emptied them before we left for vacation. Of course, the coronavirus crises was the primary reason. I wanted to do our essential shopping before there were many people around as I was supposed to self isolate, but … I would only do it once! I donned my required warm sweater, jacket, and boots in order to face the minus 19 Centigrade temperatures and headed off. The streets were vacant except for a few cars and even the Safeway, which was surprisingly well-stocked, had few customers - just as I had hoped. The people I encountered were quiet and appeared quite serious. There was no joyful atmosphere in evidence. I shopped as quickly as possible, headed home and only then did I begin my daily ritual of reading the news, especially about the pandemic. The newspaper, the online editions and the TV newscasts devoted almost all of their time to the crisis and the daily updates. Unlike the Mexico that I knew from two days earlier, I didn’t observe any quiet restaurant breakfasts, busy streets or plans for a big party Sunday night. Instead of watching the waves this morning, I watched the white clouds of smoke and condensation rising over a snow-covered, frigid, Calgary landscape.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES!

It is hard to believe that two days could be so totally different. In Calgary, there is a quiet caution and an edge of panic, but that is to be expected with all of the daily news updates. We are living in a very serious period of human history. It does not appear to me that the Mexicans have yet reached this degree of awareness, understanding or concern. And that is very concerning in itself. I am sure that it won’t be long before it happens, but in the meantime, the contagion clock is ticking. I think we all need to say a prayer or three for all of us!