A Day in May

It’s 3AM. As I sit in the dark, I realize it’s also another night without the sound of a train passing through town. Those trains haul freight, and freight isn’t moving, at least not by train, and that is a not a good sign for the economy.

It’s 6AM. Time for breakfast. I eat two bowls of raisin bran and a banana. What am I going to eat for lunch? Maybe a tuna fish sandwich. And supper? I have Power Bowls in the freezer. Plus I have some canned food, such as Brunswick stew, and chili, and beans and greens, and Beanie Weenies, and little fish in cans: sardines and kippered herring. And I have food in round boxes: oatmeal and grits, just add boiling water and stir. And I have ingredients to make Mexican Rice, if I can muster the will power.

One of the downsides of quarantine is there is nothing to write about. Much of what passes for news is just news about the virus. Or it’s about the lockdown and how its making people crazy. Last night I read about a security guard who was shot and killed because he wouldn’t let a shopper into a store without a mask. Which, incidentally, was the law. The guard was doing his job. Now he’s dead and three people face murder charges, so their lives are going to suck for a long while. Why? Because of a face mask?

Speaking of face masks, I can’t buy one around here. Every place I’ve shopped is sold out. That is a problem only because some places won’t allow me to enter without a mask: doctor and dentist waiting rooms, for example. What I’ve read repeatedly is that the purpose of wearing a face mask isn’t to protect the wearer; it’s to protect others from the wearer. From the CDC:

When you wear a cloth face covering, you help protect those around you from #COVID19. Help keep each other safe by continuing to properly wear cloth face coverings every time, the entire time you’re in public. Learn more: https://t.co/lxWMe4NUBD. pic.twitter.com/42bOU3Vuuh 
— CDC (@CDCgov) May 4, 2020

Yesterday was sunny and warm. I got out of the house and went for a walk. In the next block I encountered a young lady wearing Daisy Dukes and a cropped tank top. She flashed me a big smile and said, “Good morning! Have a nice day!” She was pushing a baby stroller. In the stroller was a baby. Or maybe it was a stroller full of empty soda cans, à la Speed. Then the young lady and the baby were gone, headed toward the park.

I continued my walk and on my return I saw her again, walking a paved path inside the park. We were two walkers, the young lady and me, getting out of the house, getting exercise, trying to avoid cabin-fever in the midst of this lockdown. Maybe I’ll go for another walk today. I might even walk to the park and sit on a bench for a while and take in some sunshine. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Come noon I’ll be watching the sights and taking in sunshine, in the park, on a spring day in early May.

Have a nice Cinco de Mayo, and remember that today is also Taco Tuesday.