Since I fit the criteria of being quarantined due to the coronavirus, I’ve had the pleasure of going out three times since it began in March of this year. People with lupus or other underlying conditions such as diabetes and those over 60 years of age should really obey the ordinance of staying indoors until Phase Four is reached before we can really enjoy the outdoors again.

My reason for going outdoors was for one, my sons desperately needed a haircut. As soon as I heard that Great Clips was reopened, I took advantage of it. I loved the new protocol of how there was not allowed no more than three people in at a time, no place really to sit to avoid social distancing and they preferred that you sign in online. The staff were well prepared sanitation-wise and everything went extremely well. It also didn’t hurt that my sons and I were the first ones to enter in.

The second time I broke my quarantine was to get my eyes examined by an ophthalmologist. This was the most desired appointment because of a certain medication I was using gave me blurred vision plus it was time for me to know what my true prescription is. I was on the verge of becoming the Redd Foxx character Fred Sanford accumulating a lot of glasses in his drawer to see which ones he could see out of better,

Lastly, I went to get some much needed lab work done with my primary care doctor because of the aches and pains I’ve experiencing no doubt associated with lupus. Thankfully, the cards were in my favor that on all three days the weather was spectacular, not that it would have changed my mind.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to break my quarantine again but at least they were for legitimate reasons. I wasn’t being a “Covidiot”, an urban dictionary term used to describe rebellious twenty-somethings who cared less about their life and the lives around them. These individuals threw “coronaparties” where they showed up wearing no masks. These individuals also went on forbidden “Spring Break” when it was forbidden by elected government officials that it was not wise to gather in massive groups until a solution came about. A lot of young lives were lost in addition to being infected with the virus.

I never knew that my getting out for those three days would do my mind and body good. Now, I remember how much a treat it was to come off of being grounded when I did something bad as a kid or a teenager. It really makes me appreciate life more and to never take for granted again the freedoms that we have, not just this virus but living in America as a whole.