SELF-ISOLATION, DAY 17

Finally! Day 17! 17 is my favorite number. I do not remember when it became my favorite number and certainly not why. But that really does not matter. I suppose most people have a favorite number. In western religions, Judeo-Christian I guess, some numbers are popular, like 3 and 7. Then there were the 12 Apostles. 12 is a pretty good number anyway. No reason there couldn’t have been 17 Apostles, though, right? We don’t know for sure.

Anyway, went to pick up a prescription at the pharmacy. SO they have these boxes made with blue tape on the floor. People are now getting used to stranding on their square or X. The lady in front of me at the checkout (because I bought something for the corns on my feet, and new socks, if you wanted to know why I was standing at the register after picking up my prescription),…geez this is getting complicated… so this lady was standing in the middle of like 1 ½ distances, behind where she was supposed to be and in front of the box behind her, so taking up about 9 feet of space. I didn’t mind, I just thought she was being really careful. That’s good, right? Anyway then someone,seeing there were 3 people in line called for help so somebody said “I can help someone in photography”. So this lady in front of me turns and goes back to be helped, calling as she went, “can you get me a pack of Pall Malls?” So, I told you already that my son made me quit smoking when he was in high school. Like, I admit to having been really, really stupid and smoking for over 20 years and subjecting my son to smoke, so, yeah, I was bad and stupid. I just thought it was funny, because it has been proved that cigarette smoke kills COVID-19 viruses. Sorry, just a bad joke. So the lady got her Pall Malls and left. Me getting more spiritual now, later I thought, rather than laugh at this lady I should wish some kind of wellness and inspiration to her so she quits before she gets sick. We should all wish that for each other.

Getting used to more people wearing masks in stores. NOW I see one and wish I had a mask. How we change. After that I threw my dog in the car, well actually I took her for a walk and then invited her to get in the car. Such a gorgeous day, really sunny and warm, 61 degrees my car told me. So we drove quite a ways so she could stick her nose out the window. There was one intersection with one of these buttons pedestrians can push to change the light. I never know if they really work. It might be that they are installed so people feel like they have some control, right? Maybe the button is not really connected it just makes people feel empowered and gives them something to do while they stand there. Anyway this couple walks up, like they were going for a walk I guess, and the lady bumps the button with her elbow. Really not bad, just a sign of the times. We were like 2 miles from nowhere, well not quite, but sort of out there a bit. Although, there are still houses everywhere. I always wonder where all the people come from. So I keep driving with my dog, down to some gravel and rock pit. I turned around, drove back, enjoying the air; my dog and I stuck our noses out the window. At the same, the very same intersection I again have a red light. I sit there and another couple comes up and the guy bumps the yellow button with his elbow! No joke. But they are doing what is right, I know that. I began to think maybe I was in a movie, or maybe a Public Service Announcement. I looked around and no cameras, so, who knows?

The church where I sometimes go has this new plan, I think I told you yesterday, where people call each other to check up. I said sure I’ll call people but no more than 3. I have some quirk. When I am face to face with people I am now very outgoing and sociable, and if I tell someone that I was very shy and quirky as a kid, some do not believe me. But I was pretty much a loner; I don’t know what age. I know I was very young when I was born, but at least by grade school, and I would walk around doing these weird hand motions and not talking to people. Nowadays most likely someone would say I was somewhere on the Spectrum. Doesn’t matter now, right? So I started writing instead of talking, when I was young, now I do both! Anyway, one of the 3 people I got is my sister-friend who has the chronic illness and we talk every day anyway so it is a little cheating. The other 2 I know from church but I will not give their names away. It is a secret. So, calling people is hard for me, but I will do it anyhow. We need to stay together.

I often listen to music while I am writing. Classical is my favorite. Ave Maria one of the best. I will put it on repeat for like a long time. Now I got stuck on “A Time For Us”, which is beautiful, I think from “Westside Story” which was a cool story but they die in the end, so, not the best song in a way. On top of that my dog is not eating much. Today she really did not eat. The last visit a few months ago the Vet Lady took some blood and said she could have a thyroid problem or something. She also yelled at me a little bit, well, she did not really yell, that I overfeed her but I don’t, she is very picky. So tomorrow I drop her off in the morning, which she will hate, she gets checked, blood taken, then I pick her up. Otherwise I wait til next week and I don’t want to. My late wife and I and I said she died over 13 years ago, well we cared for a bunch of stray dogs and cats, like, we adopted them, but of course they always get old and die in the end, which is the part I don’t like.

So, I don’t know what all these stories are about. About being in isolation and making it anyway I guess. But I am a little sad about my dog, but she might be ok. Anyway, I need to take her for a walk, make dinner, then go to bed.

Good night.

David, April 2, 2020