WEIRD TIMES

The Coronavirus already had gained a foothold as people were starting to get sick and die close to home. Everyone was now being urged to self isolate, sheltering in place. That AM I read my online horoscope, paraphrasing it read: "Today is the day to get out and socialize meet as many new people as you can!" I almost burst out laughing! I don't have a death wish.

I am not a believer in astrology although I took it quite seriously back in my teens during the 1960's. -- I'm a Capricorn, moon in Aquarius, Leo rising. But I came to my senses by the time I enrolled in Community College.

Who but Nostradamus could have predicted our current world pandemic? Many are swearing he did, others insist his predictions are deliberately being molded to fit the situation as jello into a goblet. Preachers do this all the time, advertisers, too. And I've done this myself at networking events to promote my books.

Still the world has gone weird! Seeing cashiers behind plexiglass shields at grocery stores plus having to stand 6 feet away from everyone seems downright bizarre. Add to that all those face masks on shoppers and life feels downright surreal. Could any of us have imagined this a year ago?

I cannot get my hands on a face mask! I'm still waiting on Amazon! However do-rags work better than scarves, they have long ties. Also I wear a small canvas hat with a brim all the way around. No longer do I put on make-up to go shopping. Between the rag and the hat no one can see my face. I may as well be wearing burqa.

And suddenly I feel self-conscious about my acid reflux cough. I worry about having a spell in the store and men in hazmat suits appearing out of nowhere dragging me away.

Plus they're enforcing safe distancing at a time I've never seen stores more crowded or shelves more empty! Senior Shopping Hour is early and this is Florida & Vero Beach, most of the citizenry here is seniors!

Ferreting thru an old purse I discovered a huge pile of napkins I'd squirreled away from various restaurants. It felt like Christmas! And I had a box of disposable plastic gloves left over from my hair-dying days. Now was their chance to shine again!

I needed to deposit a refund check and since I don't own a mobile phone (& no plans to get one) I had to stop at the bank. Attired in my hat, dark sunglasses, & do-rag worn bandit style I went in the drive thru. A few months ago this would have caused alarms to blare and police sirens in the distance heading my way! However I did see a flash of fear in the teller's eyes when she first spotted me.

Directly afterward I bought eggs, fresh fruit, & veggies at the grocery store, no T.P. but I still considered my day a success!

Traffic was similar to summer (after the tourists & snowbirds have gone home) with the exception of the mall & big shopping plaza behind the bank. They looked deserted and abandoned.

My big fear is that after the Coronavirus ends life will dramatically slide downhill never to recover. We don't exactly have the most competent or honest people running our country now. There's constant tension in the air.

But there are some bright spots. I got my Starz-Showtime package back. Of course I'm paying more than before! "You don't have anything else to spend your money on," a friend told me. That's true, my income goes mostly to frivolous things like Food, Electricity, Water, Taxes, Insurance, etc. -- But I never needed that movie package as much as now! Theatres are closed!

And then there's my friends, Rose dropped off a few rolls of toilet tissue which have become more precious than gold or diamonds. Marie left me a small blooming plant with pink flowers which I placed in my bedroom window. And that same week Sue sent me an early Easter card.

I look forward to the day when my friends and I can meet for lunch at a restaurant again. I'm hoping that wonderful day will not be far away.