All Week Long

Last week seem to go on for a month. I am not quite sure why. Maybe it is because I am unaccustomed to being home so much. Hey, I’m retired so you think this would be old hat. Still, this year I have been doing a fair amount of substitute teaching. I also direct a high school musical. Suddenly, I am idle.

Like many Americans, the current situation with coronavirus has cost us some money. The little bit of stock I own has lost 40% of its value. Since our state’s teacher retirement system is funded by investments, I am sure that they are experiencing some significant losses. These losses will be passed along to the retirees in some way or another. As is the case with most public and private entities, the people at the top fare the best in trying times like these, while everyone else bears the actual cost. I am losing the income from five days of substitute teaching as well.

Ohio’s governor yesterday announced a stay at home directive, ordered by Dr. Amy Acton, the state’s head of the Department of Health. We have been watching the daily addresses from Columbus. Dr. Acton seems to be honest, forthcoming and compassionate about the effect that COVID-19 has on all of us and the eventuality that more Ohioans will die from the virus. Yesterday, she threw out the statistic that I had heard kicked around – 40-60% of people will contract this virus. Hearing this from a public official is both alarming and refreshing. No sugar-coating it, no cheerleading, no beating around the bush. It is just the way it is. Dr. Acton has been very positive about the fact that following the recommendations mentioned daily will reduce the spread of the virus and the likelihood that we will contract it.

Some people are not taking this very seriously. Last Thursday, I had my oil changed and tires rotated. The waiting room at the car dealership was pretty full. Usually it is not like this. Maybe people are panic-maintaining their vehicles? My car has over 105K miles and I want to keep it running, so I felt it was a necessary risk. A risk I didn’t want to take was sitting in that waiting room with all of those people, so I sat at a table in the showroom just around the corner.

The disbelief that this was a serious situation that we are facing was evident in the conversations in the next room. The lone woman in the group was obviously incredulous as to the severity of the problem. When the one person started a conversation about the dangers of the situation, her answer was always a cynical, “may-BE.” After her third reply with this grating response, I started cursing under my breath. If she has said, “This is all a bunch of crap,” I don’t think I would have been bothered by it. It was that dismissive “I am the expert of all things” response that stuck in my craw.

After the oil change, I ventured to a nearby grocery store for a couple of things. I found the items I needed (all of them, surprisingly), and headed for the checkout. The young lady running the cash register seemed to be on death’s doorstep. Between customers, she held her head in her hands, sighing heavily. The gentleman ahead of me asked her if she was alright. She replied, “I just hurt.” When I got home, we cleaned every surface on each item with disinfectant and put the grocery sack directly into the garbage can.

Things will eventually improve. I am confident in this. When that will occur is anyone’s guess.