Our friend, Sally, visited us this past summer. She lived near us for several years and ran a very successful real estate business. After her three boys were grown, she moved to Myrtle Beach. She returns to Michigan about once a year.
Last summer she brought a new friend to dinner at our house. As they were leaving I asked when they planned to head back to Myrtle Beach. She replied, “The next day after tomorrow morning.” I thought her response was unusual. I had never heard of a departure time described in such a manner. I wrote it down, because I thought it might make a good blog title. Now is the time.
For the past six weeks we have been living in turmoil. “Stay home – stay safe” has been the advice that billions – yes billions – of people have been given and followed. Ruth and I have complied. Here are a few things I’ve observed in the process.
- When you tell people they may die, they get scared. And for the most part, they’ll do whatever they’re told.
- I’ve washed my hands more times in the past six weeks then I normally do in a year.
- My hair grows longer on the side than it does on the top.
- People behave differently when they are driven by fear.
- Millions of children are being taught by their parents because schools are closed.
- Millions of children are not being taught by their parents even though schools are closed.
- I can stay in my sleep shorts until noon multiple days in a row.
- I still have to take at least one shower everyday.
- There were several weeks when you could buy “weed” in Michigan (it’s essential) but you couldn’t buy weed killer.
- Professional wrestling is “essential” in Florida.
- People in Michigan received $1,000 fines for riding their motorcycles, putting in their docks, or driving to their own homes.
- I have a recipe, and have made, homemade hand sanitizer.
- Many people across the country are making more money than they have at any point in their lives because they are on unemployment.
- There are over 30,000,000 unemployed.
- Thankfully, New York didn’t need 40,000 ventilators.
- Fathers and daughters are developing song and dance routines on YouTube.
- Mark my words, some of them are going to be on Some Country Somewhere’s Got Talent.
- People in Ireland, China, and Iceland read my blog.
- Common people are doing uncommon things.
- My three kids are talking with each other at least once a week via an app called “Houseparty”, and I’m extremely happy they are.
- People are encouraged, and sometimes required, to wear masks.
- People wearing masks are going to banks to withdraw money and that’s deemed the “new normal”.
- We better have a national mask standard by Halloween.
- People are being encouraged to reach out to help one another, but there’s “no touching” allowed.
- We have politicized health and safety.
- My monthly credit card bill has gone down by hundreds of dollars.
- I used to take Ruth out to eat too often.
- Michigan’s governor Whitmer thinks the local pasty maker in the Upper Peninsula runs the same risk as the burger flipper in downtown Detroit.
- I’ve heard others say, “We’re in the same storm, but we’re not in the same boat.” I agree.
- I can enjoy a live driveway concert broadcast via Facebook with the same joy that I can in a local honkey-tonk.
- The thing I miss most is hugs from my children and grandchildren.
The World Trade Center came down on Ruth and my 30th wedding anniversary, September 11, 2001. I was glued to the television for several days in a row, soaking up the dreadful news, and believing that a new day was coming for our country. I hoped the tragedy would bring a positive change for all of us. I dreamed that we would come out stronger and more tolerant of people whose beliefs differed from ours. That we would work together to find a common ground. That didn’t come to pass.
While I didn’t vote for him, seven years later, I hoped that our first black President might be the catalyst for positive change that the destruction of the Twin Towers failed to foster. That didn’t happen either.
Now, during the flattening of the great pandemic of 2020, people are focusing on who’s right, rather than doing right. Our two major political parties are arguing about who has the better plan to bring an end to the current health and economic crisis. We need to stop arguing about what should have happened and focus on what needs to be done. Allowing businesses to open doesn’t mean people have to frequent them. Having the choice matters. While I don’t profess to have the answers, I’m sure we’ll all be better off if we work together.
And finally, I suggest that we begin no later than “The first day after tomorrow morning.”
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