Little Steps Poster ©Felipe Adan Lerma
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/little-steps-poster-felipe-adan-lerma.html

No April Fool’s stuff from me this year. I need trust more than a panic trick (even if innocent) right now. Even Google’s cancelled their traditional April Fool stuff! 😊

Social Distancing
Yesterday Sheila and I made our now rare trip to the pharmacy and picked up a few things. Lot of items (to have as back-ups) were gone or in last on the shelf supply. Toilet paper was all gone ‘cept for two unopened boxes in a cart. Well that was easy – pop open, grab two double roll packs (wiping each package down as we went). Clear vinegar was all gone, but two Apple Cider vinegars were left, both priced down to 99 cents each. Sheila grabbed them so fast I thought I’d just seen them there, lol!

Line to the register had the now familiar blue tape line social distancing markers for the mandate Austin put in weeks ago – back way back, early March, when SXSW was cancelled amid mixed (but now grateful) reviews. And, no one in line! Lucky us – by the time we were barely half way checked out we had 3+ people waiting behind us at the various blue strips of tape.

Except for one older man.

He moved to the front, past everyone, and nearly squeezed himself against Sheila, but backed off a few inches when I turned and moved toward him.

me: Sir, you have to move back to one of the blue markers

him: I can’t read what that says behind the counter (he points toward the cigarettes)

cashier: sir, you have to move back in the line

him: I can’t see the sign (points to cigarettes)

me: (moving a step closer to him, making eye contact) sir, my wife’s had cancer, and I’m on antibiotics for sinus stuff, you need to —

him: (startled) oh, oh, sorry (stumbles partly back to the line, stops)

me: sir (softly), you’ll have to wait your turn

The man seemed to wake, almost embarrassed, nodded, and moved to the back of the line. I can only imagine what the cashier and few staff in the store have to contend with through a whole day. They’re not medical personnel, but the store people at places like this, Walgreens, and grocery stores, deserve more credit. We depend on them, and they’re there for us.

Social distancing has had huge positive effects in lowering the virus’ curve on human life. It’s one of those simple non-tech solutions that we realize now, is also very hard to maintain.

Case in point —

A large group of UT students (70 I think) took a trip to Mexico from out of Austin, and at least 28 have tested positive for the virus. They’d chartered a plane there, but some returned via commercial flight. Details are still coming out – https://www.google.com/search?q=ut+students+with+virus+from+mexico&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari – but evidently a Nevada company was involved. And of course the students had the money and willingness to go despite the warnings and social distancing orders from the city (and now the state).

That was avoidable 😔

Tomorrow I hope to write a bit about our FaceTime with Max, the 7 year old 😊

Again, also simple, but when a seven year old is alone with only his parents, without his usual contacts with friends at school and sleepovers, well… 😂

Hopefully after that (Friday?) I can post a few pics in my daily posts of the paintings I’ve been (almost literally) tinkering with. Probably really sketches, watercolor, on my little 6×6 squares, but I like them ❤️

Stay well everyone!

Adan

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Series link – Aging Through Covid-19

Suggested link, Google search results about Social Distancing, with surprisingly nice variety of angles and bits of information on this lynch pin (along with universal testing) of preventing a catastrophe from this very aggressive virus – https://www.google.com/search?q=effects+of+social+distancing&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

Do you have good, positive, useful or encouraging info to share? Please post in the moderated comments below 😊

Note: Each time I post while doing this series (may it be a short series, but if so, for positive reasons 😊), I’ll post one or more links to posts I feel are worth seeing or reading. Some will be COVID-19 specific, some just uplifting, some encouraging via exercise or nutrition etc, but all within the rubric of what we’re all facing tougher ❤️

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Thanks again, everyone! 😊

Adan

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