Day Five: Virus Hits the Beach!

Virus Hits the Beach! Hawaii, paradise, Garden of Eden, immune to the Corona Virus? NOT! What follows is a entry to the 14 day diary of a 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, 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 5

Life in the light of the Corona Virus

Parking lots are closed and empty. People are still enjoying the beach. They walk in. Still walking dogs and throwing sticks and swimming in the waves and out surfing. It’s a piece of old, old Hawaii when everybody walked in the sand and threw sticks for dogs and surfed in the waves.

No trouble crossing the beach road. There is no traffic. Far out in the water is a canoe. A whale jumps right by them. The whales must be wondering where everybody is. All the tour boats are gone. No squealing tourists, just happy locals.

Its sunny and warm. Stop to pet a dog. Lucky dog, also out on a walk, and he brought his owner! But due to social distancing, ok to pet the dog, but not to hug or shake hands with the attached human. Dogs are ok. Humans, not so much! Wow!, things have changed. Hawaii is a hugging culture.

Its like The Walking Dead, or I Am Legend except that everywhere you look things are clean and tidy and green. Thanks to all the gardeners and housekeepers. Yes, they are essential industries! I have heard people complain that fruit has been stolen from their trees, especially the ones hanging over the roadside. Hope the people eat it. If they need it bad enough to steal it, God bless them so they don’t have to steal food! Where is the Federal and State government anyway?

Today my status changed from high risk, …to what is worse than that? I am over 60 and did have an auto immune disease 35 years ago! Augggh! How did I get in this category? After 24 years of teaching snotty nosed five year olds in a closed environment, and even cleaning up vomit, I never got the flu. Now, suddenly I am high risk? What does that mean for the rest of the population?

The sun is shining, and a breeze is blowing, and the ocean is just blocks away and I have a roof over my head and food on my table and a family and a bank account. Life is good!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the 5th of a 14 entry series, chronicaling the first 14 days of the Corona Virus quarantine on the island of Maui, Hawaii. The sixth day will be published tomorrow. Tune in to read it at https://karenmac1999.wixsite.comwebsite-1, then click BLOG or enter this address on Favorites on your computer. Do you have comments or additions? Send them to Karenmac1999@hotmail.com. They are welcome.