WANT TO HEAR MY COVID-19 CONFESSION?

WANT TO HEAR MY COVID-19 CONFESSION?

During our self-isolation, I am having a tough time coming up with new blogs that aren’t virus related. The other day I thought that because I now had even more spare time in my laidback life, that I could whip up an interesting blog every day. Well, the truth is that it is harder than I thought. When our entire world and my own mind are consumed with the unfolding pandemic, everything else seems so irrelevant in comparison. Does anyone want to read some trite missive about my feelings about pets or free speech or thin thinking? I doubt it. That doesn’t mean these topics won’t in desperation soon appear on your desktop but I confess that I am having difficulty with finding topics that are not related to the pandemic and all of its side stories. 

So for today, let me just ramble on about some of the things that I am wondering about or reflecting upon.

• I don’t know how long our social distancing is going to last but I am guessing at least 3-4 months and possibly all year. The longer it is in place will it become harder or easier? I don’t know, but I am expecting more people to become edgy, upset, and cranky and that is not a good thing.
• I feel that our good friends to the south are in for a massive medical and economic tragedy that is going to be hard to imagine at this time. Whether we like it or not, as the US goes, so goes Canada. We are so dependent on much of our food supply and other life essentials that we are going to also suffer from their hard times. 
• While many countries have become “toilet paper” obsessed, I have heard reports out of many US states that one of the shortages that they are concerned about is bullets, handguns, and rifles. It would never have entered my mind to stock up on bullets. Have you?
• I sometimes wonder how major sports will be able to revive after at least a year of little or no competition. The canceling of the Olympics was a no-brainer although I do empathize with the athletes who have devoted their young lives to their training. How will pro athletes rebound? Will they initially be playing to empty parks and stadiums, with no spectators? 
• Because of the self-isolation and confinement of millions, our television has become the primary source of entertainment for many. The Internet and books provide some with diversion as well, but daily TV viewing will do nothing but increase. When the crisis is over, will people return to movie theatres again or are they going to become a permanent casualty of the pandemic?
• Albertans have been offered a flu vaccination every fall for at least the past ten years to combat annual winter flu viruses. This year’s Covid-19 strain has no vaccine yet and we are feeling its impact. I keep wondering if we are experiencing a once in a lifetime virus or can we expect to have to face annual threats from new strains that are all going to be as potent as corona? I certainly hope not!
• No matter the issue, we are always over-exposed to the opinions and messages of politicians who are not experts or particularly knowledgeable on either the medical or economic issues facing us. Get the politicians off the stage and off the TV and leave the experts - in the medical and economic fields - present us with the facts and recommendations for containment and prevention. eg Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. For once leave politics out of it!

For my senior blog followers, I am going to sign off with the closing that Porky Pig uttered at the end of the Looney Tunes cartoons of yesteryear, “Th-th-th-that’s all folks!” A thumbs up to those of you can visualize that memory! Have a nice day!