A lot of people and media outlets do not want April Fool’s to be a “thing” this year, and rightly so, with the Coronavirus (aka COVID-19) lurking around every corner around the globe. That in and of itself is like an ongoing sick joke. But I try to remain positive. I think a few laughs is what we all need right now.
I have not journaled here since 2016. A shit ton lot has happened over the past 4 years. My blog journaling took a back seat to Facebook and Instagram, which I have found to be so much quicker and takes much less effort to post the occasional inspirational thought, or photograph. I digress…. without having to remember and journal what has transpired over the past 4 years, I am fast forwarding to 2020 - - March of 2020 to be exact - - the month that panic swept across the World and the horrific Coronavirus plagued the human population. This pandemic has caused complete havoc in all of America, right down to my little hometown of Hanover, Pennsylvania, which is why I felt the need to dust off the cobwebs, log-in to my blog and journal about this most challenging, depressing and unsettling time in our Nation’s history. This “shutting down” of America has never happened before. Ever. And I can’t help but feel that some of my freedoms could potentially be compromised in the coming weeks. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to contract the COVID-19, nor do I want any of my loved ones to get the COVID-19, nor do I want to spread the COVID-19. So, I am voluntarily complying to the “Stay at Home” policy that our Governor has enforced upon us through the end of April, as well as practicing "social distancing" guidelines, which will undoubtedly be the most popularly used phrase throughout this whole pandemic and one that will definitely define the year. I simply dislike this uneasy feeling that some of my freedoms and liberties are already at stake.
Individuals may leave their residence only to perform any of the following activities and allowable essential travel:
- Tasks essential to maintain health and safety, or the health and safety of their family or household members (including pets), such as obtaining medicine or medical supplies, visiting a health care professional, or obtaining supplies they need to work from home
- Getting necessary services or supplies for themselves, for their family or household members, or as part of volunteer efforts, or to deliver those services or supplies to others to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences
- Engaging in outdoor activity, such as walking, hiking or running if they maintain social distancing
- To perform work providing essential products and services at a life-sustaining business
- To care for a family member or pet in another household
- Any travel related to the provision of or access to the above-mentioned individual activities or life-sustaining business activities
- Travel to care for elderly, minors, dependents, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable persons
- Travel to or from educational institutions for purposes of receiving materials for distance learning, for receiving meals, and any other related services
- Travel to return to a place of residence from an outside jurisdiction
- Travel required by law enforcement or court order
- Travel required for non-residents to return to their place of residence outside the commonwealth
- Anyone performing life-sustaining travel does not need paperwork to prove the reason for travel
As of now, my hometown does not have a curfew. However, I foresee the Governor implementing a curfew policy in the very near future, along with fines and citations issued to those who do not comply. The “Stay at Home” policies differ from state to state and some states have much stricter policies in place. It seems to me that our rights are being taken away a little at a time. I surely do not ever want to see Marshall Law enacted in this country. That decision would be entirely unpredictable and unprincipled making it a very dangerous threat to American democracy – period. Quite frankly, the thought of it is scary.
I must reveal that I am quite proud to be a "Trumplican". Aside from the fact that our economy is going to suffer greatly, I feel that our president has done a “tremendous job”, “a beautiful thing” (Trumpisms) in responding to this crisis. I commend him for his leadership and I pray for his continued effort to do what is right and just for this country. I just hope he is not being snookered by the dems / the far left who seem to want him to fail even if it means escalating our fears, reporting false information to bring him down, and not having a care in the world if the Country or people’s lives are destroyed in the process.
I’m one of the lucky ones though, as I have been deemed an “essential employee”, so I am able to continue to go to work on a daily basis. The CEO of my company has written a letter that I am to carry with me in my vehicle which reads that travel to and from work is permitted just in case law enforcement were to pull me over and question why I am traveling about during the "Stay at Home" order. (What the what??) We are a food manufacturing business, and by golly, food is a necessity. And apparently, so is TP. Whoever thought TP would be such a HOT commodity, and as of today is still hard to come by! Most grocery stores are limiting consumers to 1 pack - good luck finding any at all! Some other items grocery stores are having a hard time keeping stocked include: hand sanitizer, cleaners, Lysol, paper towels, rubber gloves, surgical masks, certain pharmaceuticals, as well as chicken and meats.
Well folks, I am going to end The Corona Diaries - Part I blog post here today, but I simply cannot do that without a little humor. We all need a little laughter to help us get through this troublesome time. If there’s one thing that’s been keeping me going through all of this, it’s all the hilarious memes that people have been posting on social media. So here ya go, I am sharing a few of my favorites.
Now, laugh out loud with me people and then go wash your hands while singing the first verse of Let’s Dance, by David Bowie, or better yet, convert your own favorite tune into a hand-washing accompaniment by trying out this hand-washing lyrics generator:
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