Friday, March 20, 2020

Panic 5-on-1 3/20/2020

This week's topic is Panic - that sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, that produces hysterical or irrational behavior, and that often spreads quickly through a group of persons or animals, an instance, outbreak, or period of such fear (Dictionary.com). Somehow I think everyone understands that meaning in these times dominated by the coronavirus pandemic we are currently experiencing.

Panic that generates fear that somehow induces people here in the USA to purchase vast quantities of supplies they think must be stockpiled. One thing is for certain - no matter how many people do not survive the virus, they will most certainly pass on with clean behinds. Most goods being purchased are quantity restricted, just like the grocery delivery order I just made for my daughter and grandson in Hickory, NC. Every item was restricted to a limit of 2. That is a new experience for me with Walmart.

Panic - the thing that causes governments to force people to stay at home and change their social interactions to a somewhat more restrictive version that is called for during these times.I freely admit I stayed home during most of the past 7 months. Now that it is mandated by officials, I am mildly perturbed - even knowing full well it is a necessity in these times. No shaking hands. Even bumping elbows increases one's chance of being infected. It has become a namaste world - loosely translated, I bow to you. India and its neighbors had it right all along. 🙏


Travel restrictions abound. So far, my return flight to North Carolina is still on, but that could change any day. Traveling in an enclosed aluminum tube does not sound  like a good thing but it certainly sounds better than a 5-day train or bus ride or a 3-4 day car trip. I am not particularly happy with the lower level of medical resources available where I am headed either but I have a 10-yr old grandson to care for.

Businesses are being shuttered unless they are deemed "essential". Dunno about all y'all but I could sure use a stiff shot of single-malt but bars are not considered essential. I beg to differ, but I am just a single voice. A loud voice but still just a single voice.😀

The Coronavirus is the first thing to come along in a long while to impact our western culture to this degree. We thought we were impervious to these things - we are not a third world culture after all. But Covid-19 is an equal opportunity virus. It does not care how sophisticated, wealthy or poor you are. Initially we even thought it was really only particularly harmful to older folks, specifically those with underlying conditions and repressed immune systems - people like me. Now we are seeing more and more serious cases in younger people. No free passes millennials - start paying attention.

So what do we need?





Its really quite simple, even if like me you are in the primary targeted group. Panic is the worst thing you can do. Use some common sense. Stay at home as much as possible. Order food delivery whenever you can afford it as restaurants are businesses with razor thin margins and are at risk of shuttering permanently. Order groceries for pickup or delivery. Keep interpersonal contact to an absolute minimum. Don't shake hands.

You probably pay a tidy sum for entertainment - now is a good time to binge that series on Netflix, Play some games with friends on your laptop or phone. I know for a fact I am contributing to the well-being of my friend Kathi because she keeps kicking my ample butt in Words 2.  Try having some real conversations with family members or friends. There certainly is enough going on these days so topics for conversation are plentiful. Snowed in? Stay warm and don't go outside. Read that book that has been collecting dust on the table. Listen to some music.

Remember - this too will pass, it will just take time. Yes there will be hardships and inconveniences but it will pass. Are you a person of faith? You know what to do. Driven by logic and science? Same thing. And should you somehow come down with the virus, do not quit fighting. Fight as long and hard as you can.

That is my quick take on Panic - be sure to visit our other bloggers and see what they have to say. See ya next week.

Ramana, Padmum, Sanjana & Conrad


10 comments:

  1. As always, yours a most entertaining, and in this case a breathless, take on a subject.

    I am one of those people who don't panic when faced with a crisis. In fact I am at my best when the heat is on. After it's all over? I may allow myself a brief meltdown. With hindsight.

    Some storms we have to ride out. And yes, I still go out. Only to hunt down the bacon. And some kitchen tissue - the latter of which in short supply. Yesterday's trophy was Tabasco sauce. No spinach. Pasta you may forget. That's when it pays to have an Italian Mama. She, with a bit of luck, will have put in the flour and remember her own mother's instructions how to make pasta from scratch.

    And where are tomatoes (tinned) in your hour of need? Oddly, and here is a social commentary for your delectation, high end (for which read expensive) shops don't appear to have the same shortages. Unless you are after pasta, tinned tomatoes, and, wait for it, toilet paper. Those items are the great leveller across the board. As to soap, lucky me, virus or not I always buy washing up liquid well in advance which - when I take my Marigold gloves off - doubles as handwash.

    Fact is, Shackman, and you, more than many, will recognize this: We are at a moment of reckoning. Forced to reflect where we were mindlessly heading. Maybe, in time to come, a new BC (Before Corona) as a reference point. A time to press the reset button.

    Not so much panicked as alarmed, yours,
    U

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  2. I agree, common sense is king! We buy sensibly, no place to hoard items, just get what we need. I am on The DASH diet @ my recent heart attacks (3), only fresh no - salt foods, no fast foods, etc. 8 strokes and 3 heart failures determine what I can do, which is not much! But, hey, I'm alive!

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    1. Hang in ethereally Pops - you have been so brought so much - clearly you bought the service plan. 😀

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  3. Very well said. You have verbally packaged common sense beautifully in this situation. Isn't it amazing how quickly that common sense has evolved in this situation? It didn't seem nearly so extreme just a very short time ago, time when you and I still got together to catch up on old times.

    Grab life while you can and be realistic about how you do it!

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    1. It will indeed be nice if this crisis brings commonsense back into our lives

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  4. "Telling"! My take away from your "take"...this too shall pass.. I too may pass... But... Life is great... We are all in touch with everybody important in our lives.... And those who are not as well! 🙏🙏🙏

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  5. My initial reaction to the current crisis has settled down to a resigned acceptance and thoughts of the future post this hiatus. It would appear that I am not the only one with this frame of mind and you can read some more here: https://www.ft.com/content/19d90308-6858-11ea-a3c9-1fe6fedcca75

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  6. And, thanks for bringing Joe Cocker back into my life.

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  7. You've summed up the situation quite well. We are where we are. I've typically shopped to minimize the frequency with which I had to go to the store, so am not caught up in the panic, but wouldn't be anyway -- not my nature. Stay well, and take good care of yourself.

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