{"id":23950,"date":"2020-09-29T18:16:14","date_gmt":"2020-09-29T18:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flovalleynews.com\/?p=23950"},"modified":"2020-09-29T18:16:14","modified_gmt":"2020-09-29T18:16:14","slug":"the-covid-coaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flovalleynews.com\/?p=23950","title":{"rendered":"The Covid-Coaster"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Hitchhikers Guide to COVID: When Will We Get
\nthe Whole Story?<\/h1>\n
\"\"
Tom Anselm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So here we are, you and I and the world, nearly seven months since the weirdest illness in centuries has changed how we live in mega-ways.
\nHow are you dealing with all this, sports fans?
\nAs I write this, I realize that my occasional smart-mouth tone might need to be toned down a bit. And that is because many people have been negatively affected by this plague, many have died, or become dangerously sick, and some are experiencing serious after-effects from having had the virus. If you have been so touched by this, my sympathies and prayers are extended to you. Unfortunately, it looks like we are in for more of the chaos that this strange and unpredictable disease can put us through.
\nRemembering how this all began back in March, it is hard to believe what has happened. The experts were winging it, with respect to recommendations. Close the borders, no travel, no stores, no church. No, wait, go ahead and get out there, this is just a different strain of the flu. Oops, just found out\u2026 IT\u2019S NOT LIKE THE FLU!!!
\nSo now stay home, don\u2019t visit people. Cover your face like a bandit, watch what you touch. Then we went into hiding. It was a lock-down, which almost put the world into a whirling economic depression.
\nDecades from now, there will be studies of how well governmental entities did with this start-up plan. Did we \u2018flatten the curve,\u2019 as was hoped? Did millions upon millions not die as opposed to thousands and thousands
\nbecause of what was done? Time and study will evaluate this. I hope I\u2019m alive to read the reports.<\/p>\n

But recall the panic, if you will. Get tested if you can find a place. (And what a fun experience that was. I just know that first swab poked straight into my medulla oblongata!)
\nWipe everything with sanitizer\u2026 groceries, mail, car keys. Wash your hands, dozens of times. Wear a mask.
\nThen, nope, a mask won\u2019t help. Then, yeah, sorry, get them masks on, people. Stay inside, no hugging, then 6-feet apart, then no kissing, then this, then that, until our heads were spinning in anticipation of the newest tactic to stop the spread.
\nAnd still, it spread.
\nOld and ill people got hit hardest, and in some places, were virtually slaughtered. We were told kids can\u2019t get it. But then they did. Businesses were closed, then reopened, then closed again. Some shut down for good. One governmental entity said A, the other said B, and still another, all in the same region, said something else.
\nWho were we to believe? Who are we to believe, now?
\nNot sure. Are you as frustrated as I feel?
\nI wrote a silly poem back when it all began. Called it \u2018The Ballad of COVID.\u2019 Said I was \u2018not getting\u2019 sick from the COVID, so I\u2019m keepin\u2019 myself locked up. Well, Jill and I did just that. Over time, we have ventured out, masked and distanced. But not overly out there, if you know what I mean. Just to a store now and then and Sunday Mass, sitting way in the corner.
\nWe have been able to see our family, somewhat. The ability to be outside has helped, distancing and masking like demons.
\nThat was one thing we hoped we could make happen. Those first months of no family were so painful.
\nEven at that, it was weeks before we got to hold our newest granddaughter, born on March 25. And that was unheard of. Some of the immediate family still haven\u2019t been able to snuggle that little gremlin, and she is nearly 6 months old! Unheard of, I say.
\nBut, so it goes. Will this end, like other coronavirus\u2019s have, in two years? Is it a new and more resistant strain? Will a vaccine be the answer? I don\u2019t recall a vaccine for MERS or SARS in the past. But then, this \u201819\u2019 dude doesn\u2019t seem to be following the rules, ya know? So there\u2019s that.
\nIn the meantime, I and The Lovely Jill are taking it very seriously. We are \u2018of that certain age,\u2019 after all. And recent complications have made it even more imperative that we keep on the down-low.
\nSo here\u2019s to your health and safety. Evaluate what you need to do to take care of yourself. Please don\u2019t take this lightly.
\nRecently, I heard a song by a group called The Tragically Hip. The tune is \u201cAhead By A Century.\u2019\u201d
\nThere is this line\u2026 \u201cno dress rehearsal, this is our life.\u201dIf that ain\u2019t the truth, when it comes to hitchhiking through the uncharted territory in which we find ourselves today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Hitchhikers Guide to COVID: When Will We Get the Whole Story? So here we are, you and I and the world, nearly seven months since the weirdest illness in centuries has changed how we live in mega-ways. How are you dealing with all this, sports fans? As I write this, I realize that my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"0","ocean_second_sidebar":"0","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"0","ocean_custom_header_template":"0","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"0","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"0","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"0","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"off","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,9,13,16,17,20,40,25],"tags":[976,1036,576],"class_list":["post-23950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blackjack-spanishlake","category-columnists","category-entertainment-travel","category-ferguson","category-florissant","category-hazelwood","category-il","category-missouri","tag-covid","tag-hitchhiker","tag-tom-anselm","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Covid-Coaster - flovalleynews.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/flovalleynews.com\/?p=23950\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Covid-Coaster - flovalleynews.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Hitchhikers Guide to COVID: When Will We Get the Whole Story? 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