I am not ready

So what happened to the coronavirus? I mean while the country descended into various sorts of madness over the weekend. Is it over yet? I mean the madness. I know the coronavirus isn’t over. But can I come outta my bunker now? Are there tanks out there yet?

No. There are no tanks on the Planet Ann Arbor. With my Caucasian middle class privilege, I spent the weekend in my beloved little house in a nice albeit not fancy neighborhood. Woods behind me and green everywhere at this time of year. No tanks or rubber bullets or tear gas. Just families and dog-walkers going by my front window and birds and animals everywhere.

Fittingly, I finished “Them” (Joyce Carol Oates) during my lunch hour today. It is set in Detroit and ends with the Detroit riots. The riots that convinced my Detroit grandparents to move from their beautiful art deco house on Mark Twain out to the Oakland county upscale suburb Birmingham.

Sometime in the afternoon I checked Twitter and there was Big Gretch (who I like and support and it’s an affectionate nickname) announcing that the Great Lake State is opening up again. All of it, not just the yooperland. (Actually I don’t remember about Detroit but the Planet Ann Arbor is.) There are restrictions, of course. I haven’t internalized them but I think they involve fewer people in restaurants and other places of business at a time and masks. I don’t understand how you can eat with a face mask on but whatever.

The thing is… I AM NOT READY YET. I still don’t trust the virus. I know our guv is listening to scientific experts but I also think she is being politically pressured. I do not believe that COVID is anywhere near under control, especially with all of the protests. Yeah, people were outside where (“they’re” telling us) it doesn’t spread easily. Data please! Some of them were wearing masks. But there were also a lot of intimate interpersonal interactions, like when the police arrested people. And what about those who ended up crowded into jails?

Whether or not we see a “bump” in virus numbers from last weekend, I am not ready for prime time. I sincerely hope that my fave curbside pickup places continue to offer that service indefinitely. Actually, at least for restaurants, I would think that continuing curbside would be good for business, since they can’t (I don’t think) pack customers in like in “normal” times. Thinking fondly of all those days we would pack into Knight’s 3-4 deep at the bar before our table was ready. Making new friends every time. But not ready.

3 Responses to “I am not ready”

  1. Margaret Says:

    I’m not ready either, but I think there is just too much going on and they don’t have the resources to deal with Covid protesters too. Ugh.

  2. Tonya Watkins Says:

    Nope. I’m not ready, either. I’ve been watching the data and the cases keep increasing. I’m also keeping a CLOSE eye on cases in the next couple of weeks from the areas of the protests. And isn’t it interesting that there is no problem providing the “PPE” for the militarism of”law enforcement,” but not the health workers?

  3. Paulette Says:

    I certainly am not ready. I am worried about it a lot. I was so glad that R. did not go mushroom hunting yesterday because it involved driving two hours with another ‘shroom hunter. I always think, what has the exposure to Covid 19 been for that person? When will I be ready? Waiting for limitless testing and a vaccine…as unreasonable as that sounds.