Cloudy: Day Two

Hawaii, paradise, Garden of Eden, immune to the Corona Virus! NOT!

What follows is a 14 day diary of the typical day and thoughts of a person living in Hawaii, but under quarantine, isolation, social distancing...call it what you will. Any way you define it means changing the way you interact with others in order to protect yourself and those you meet and congregate with. It is a morphing experience, differing from day to day over the weeks. Enjoy the journey, grow with it, think the thoughts and create ones of your own.

Day Two

Life in the light of Corona Virus

As the sun struggles to shine past the masses of gray clouds that will no doubt turn to rain, I put social distancing to the test and start out for another solo walk! I move through the vacant field I call “the prairie” which is a lovely relaxing place to visit a multitude of weeds and burnt out trees. A fire ten years ago has left it pristine, perfect for walkers and dogs, and walkers with dogs. Oops! Watch out for that poop bag! Why do dog owners go to the trouble to bring bags, pick up the poop, then leave the bag on the ground by the side of the trail? Is the bringing and the picking up as far as their responsibility goes? Now the poop, which was biodegradable, is now encased in a non-environmentally friendly plastic bag and literally preserved as poop for coming generations of walkers and dogs and poop-picker-uppers? Who do they think comes after them and gathers up the brightly colored bags filled with dog shit in this no man’s land of the prairie? Anybody? Bueller? Hello?

The trail through the prairie is perfect for the high-risk crowd of this quarantine. You know, those over 65 and scared to death to go to the gym, that if the gym was even open! Or is that group “too lazy or old to go to the gym”? Or should it be described as “under motivated?” Perhaps the corona virus is changing that level of motivation. I’m here aren’t I? Walking. In a big open field filled with trails that are strewn with rocks the size of base balls, and rocks the size of golf balls, and rocks the size of tennis balls. This trail is not for the weak, the unmotivated or the lazy. No shuffling here. Shuffling could be hazardous to your health! Or your pelvis or a hip!..Keep your eyes open and your wits about you. Pick up those feet! Use those new cross trainers! Now I know why they are called cross trainers! In order to use them effectively as footwear, you have to get good and cross. You are out there, in no man’s land and need to pick up your feet just to avoid falling in a place where you “can’t get up!” and no one will find you.

The forced isolation/quarantine/social distancing is good for something besides building motivation, and limiting spread of infection. People drive or walk by and smile at you. Perhaps it is because they know this is probably the closest you will come all day to exercising! Perhaps it is because they don’t have to interact with you beyond a smile. Perhaps it is because they at least know you are alive…as in “not dead yet!” This may very well be the last time they see you. Better smile back!

Then there is a beautiful sidewalk. Paid for with taxpayers’ money. One side of the street that rims the prairie is trimmed and pristine. The other side of the street is overgrown and strewn with leaves and trash. This gives new meaning to the phrase “wrong side of the tracks” or in this case, street. The clean and groomed side is owned and cared for by the gated community. The trashy side is a county right of way. This is local government at its best?

Then there is a snail making dotted lines on the sidewalk, pointing the way home.

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This is the second of a 14 entry series chronicling the first 14 days of the Corona Virus quarantine on the island of Maui, Hawaii. The third day will be published tomorrow. Tune in to read it at https://karenmac1999.wixsite.com.website-1 then click BLOG or

enter this URL address on your favorite drop down on your computer. Do you have comments or additions? Send them to Karenmac1999@hotmail.com. They are welcome.