After nearly four months of sheltering solo, I finally enjoyed a dinner out. Before the week ended, I sprang out of solitude for a second time. D was in the neighborhood and wanted to grab a bite and visit Heavenly Pond.
It was the busiest I’ve ever seen the park. Los Angeles was about to go on a second lockdown for the July 4th weekend. Everyone was out to celebrate while the park was open. Some wore masks and many didn’t. There was a lot of people watching at the pond’s picnic area. And D was mildly annoyed.
Stranger passing by with no mask: “Hello.”
JNET: (sitting having a salad - obviously not wearing a mask while eating) “Hi.”
D: “Phffft.”
D was trying to contain himself. But since no one was passing judgment on no-maskers and ruining anyone’s sunny day, he held his tongue.
JNET: “It’s good to see people out enjoying the day. The ones not wearing masks are very brave. I would never wish anything bad upon them. I hope the experts finally say it’s safe to be out without masks, that deaths are down, and that we can return to normal life and hug without fear.”
My friend listened. He didn’t seem as optimistic about the future as I. We had different windows that we watched the world through. Is it possible to have hope for the future? With a pandemic? A culture war? The state of the economy? The current theatre of world politics?
Solitude has forced me to seek answers to feed faith and not despair. Oddly, it’s not covid that frightens me; it’s the high strung emotions of tense angry people. The virus is less harmful to me than the social climate where there is a “right way“ to think, live, and look.
ABC: “Do I have to be nice or polite to people out and about sans mask?
1: “No, those @#$& have no regard for your safety and will happily attack people.”
2: “No. Those people have a proclivity for violence.”
3: “If polite means smacking their head with a shovel, yes!”
These are just a sample of what I see among my circle of friends. It can get venomous. Someone admitted they wished they could mace people who weren’t wearing a mask.
JNET: (treating mask with essential oils before leaving home) “Wearing a mask inflames and irritates my skin. A friend suggested I look into organic fabrics or silk.”
D: “If you can’t wear a mask, stay home.”
JNET: “For how long?”
D: “Until you can get a covid vaccine.”
It was a short ride home. My second outing since March brought me to my favorite neighborhood park where I enjoyed the walk. It stressed out my friend. I’m glad no one got violent and took out their mace.
The following day was the 4th of July and I set out to be outside my home AGAIN. J invited me to spend the day with her family. We ate all day, drank whiskey root beer floats, and shared optimistic views of the future. We also listened to fireworks that began once it got dark at 9pm and didn’t seem to stop til well after midnight.
It’s against to law to have fireworks. For a city in lockdown, the air sounded with defiance. The moon was full. During a stretch of silence, I said a prayer for our world. I imagined a future where we all celebrated freedom and shared a joy of past 4th of Julys multiplied the world over. Heaven on earth.
I prayed that humanity wouldn’t lose itself in the fear and anger. I prayed that we experience a collective miracle that unites us and evolves us. Isn’t 2020 supposed to be the dawn of a new age?
Before I fell asleep, I found this video of what my Los Angeles looked like past the trees and over the hill from my friend’s home.
This is what I heard through most of the night. But to see it was moving and gave me hope for our country and it’s people. To see so many people across the city join together and collectively defy the rules that sought to silence a holiday we love is a beautiful sight. The city tried to cancel and darken the day and it didn’t work.
Like these fireworks, people united in display to say that they will not be silenced or told to comply especially on a day where we celebrate freedom, a country, and ideals to live free from tyranny.
My city defied its government on Independence Day with fireworks. It was beautiful. We’re at the dawn of a new age.
Good health to all of you and may you always feel free in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
JNET
I'm glad you're open to those not conforming. With each passing day it looks as if they overreacted. Between inflating numbers of Covid and killing seniors by forcing infected in with non infected, all the way to many dying from being forced on ventilators. The numbers, even inflated aren't matching up.
I definitely don't think its a hoax, and pretty sure I had it back in January. I never get sick and I was down the whole month, bad. I had to sleep sitting up so I could breathe, and finally resorted to medicine, which I don't normally do. It was horrible. Haven't been that sick since years ago when I was septic.
But having said that, I'm not seeing how this is worse than the flu based on numbers. A couple articles I've read here on Hive about it.
https://hive.blog/hive-122315/@krnel/henry-ford-health-system-study-shows-hcq-cut-covid-deaths-in-half
https://hive.blog/hive-122315/@krnel/cdc-states-covid-mortality-at-epidemic-threshold-epidemic-nearing-end
In my post here I shared a video of the Illinois Dept. of Public Health Director admitting theywere inflating the mortality numbers.
https://hive.blog/blog/@practicalthought/planning-for-the-new-normal
Not two weeks later, some body died in a drive by shooting and death certificate said Covid and the outcry was so loud they said they would stop doing it. But all those cases before that are still listed as part of the mortality rate. The practice was common.
One thing that has really been bothering me are the folks attacking vitamins/minerals and such being used as a good preventative. Some of the attacks are so hateful, using claims of anti science, as if strengthening ones immune system were anti science.
The truth is, like the flu, a certain segment of older folks (I'm sort of in this group now myself) and those with underlying health and immunity issues are at a much higher risk than the majority of folks.
So glad you were able to finally get out. I don't think shutting oneself away for months is healthy, and can only imagine how great it felt for you. I'm a loner and I still have went out daily since this started, even if it were in open areas without much traffic from others.
J,
It felt good to be out. Seeing people enjoy a day out at a classic car show and a walk about a park without masks lessened the dystopian picture of the world I see online. Perhaps the people braving without masks are wisely taking vitamins to boost their immune system. Ive regularly taken vitamins for years and swear by them. I’ve sidestepped flu season every year and have never taken a flu shot. Every time a student or parent got sick, I sent them screenshots of my vitamins.
Before lockdown began, I made sure to have my supply of vitamins sorted out. I’ve been on a modulated regime of vitamin C and D as well as specific immunity boosting nutritionals. After seeing our country not follow China’s horror of piled dead bodies and crying doctors and nurses abandoned by their administrators, I felt less afraid of the virus.
It just may be a fierce strain of flu like you had experienced. My sister-in-law had a cough Thanksgiving that lingered til mid-February. My young nephews didn’t get sick but her eldest adult son dealt with a lingering cough and fever during the same time. My brother was fine. He exercises regularly and takes vitamins.
If only I can convince more of my friends and family to be vigilant taking vitamins and resting. I’d rather trust my vitamin boosted body than a mask to protect me.
The covid numbers are questionable. I make screenshots of the death numbers every day. I ask my friends that work at hospitals if dead bodies are piling up and if the morgues are overwhelmed.
“Not yet.” Is a common answer. The worse is just around the corner. That corner was once April, then May, then June. The worse just keeps moving to a new month. Meanwhile, the death counts seem to be falling.
People will fight to keep a lockdown in place. The fear mongering here is high. I hear of fights at grocery stores. My friend’s neighbors had their homes vandalized for having American flags in their yard. It’s a scary social climate.
I’m hoping there’s more people less afraid to open up the state. I will only go to places where I can roam mask free or stay home. Unfortunately, our governor and mayor has our lockdown til August and will possibly extend it further. Arrrgggh.
July will be interesting. No one enjoys wearing a mask when it’s over 90 degrees. News is getting fascinating with the whole Epstein/Maxwell story. And I heard aliens will make contact soon.
Hmmm. It’s going to be an interesting summer. Margaritas or beer?
Glad to hear from you and that you are in good health!
J
Interesting times we live in. Put on your seatbelts. This is just the beginning.
J