Solutions for When You are at the Grocery

By Jeff Thomas

Ok. So, Saturday I was in Lowes.  Yea yea, I was actually doing official business.  And I, like most of the  other customers, was mindful of social distancing.  I walked down an aisle and saw two people, who were wearing masks, where I wanted to look, so I waited, more than 6 feet away, until they moved.  Then I proceeded down the aisle to look for what I needed.

As I searched the shelves, along comes an acquaintance.  I see him frequently, but don’t really know his name.  Why did your boy walk up, pat me on the shoulder, extend his hand and effusively start a “How ya’ doing” kind of conversation like this is 2018?

In my mind, corona missiles were streaming from his mouth on a heat seeking mission to my nose. His extended hand was a germ filled bomb.  I literally panicked and jumped back and hollered, “Hey man, keep social distance between us.”  He was shocked and asked me if I was really doing all that. 

At once anger, distress and a desire to educate rushed into my mind.  I could only blurt out, “This is about life and death and you don’t have the right to put people at risk with your careless attitude man.”  I grabbed my product and went to checkout. 

Social Distancing

Despite wall to wall press coverage, some people just are not taking this seriously.  Denial, ignorance, or just not fully comprehending, some people are missing the significance of this new norm. Admittedly, social distancing is different and complicated. This vague term needs more definition.

Are you surprised to learn that social distancing is actually a medical term? Social distancing or physical distancing is a set of nonpharmaceutical infection control actions intended to stop or slow down the spread of a contagious disease. The objective of social distancing is to reduce the probability of contact between persons carrying an infection, and others who are not infected, so as to minimize disease transmission, morbidity and ultimately, mortality.   

In New Orleans, social intimacy is a part of the culture.  People hug and kiss. Often when they meet for the first time.  If you see a friend, you better speak or be considered rude.  Well there is a new normal.  

Being polite is now a cheerful wave.  This is necessary to protect us all.  We are all at risk.  There is an invisible, sneaky and clever enemy amongst us.  Some people get no or mild symptoms.  Others die.  Still the disease is contagious in all instances.  Even if you only have mild symptoms that you do not even recognize as the COVID-19, you can transmit this deadly disease to a vulnerable person who might require hospitalization. 

If the hospitals are overrun with treating COVID19 victims, then the everyday heart attack or stroke patient could possibly die.

What to Do

“Better to be safe than sorry” and “holler at your boy” are two popular expressions that come to mind now.  Combining them make the most sense.  Even if you don’t feel bad, stay home as much as possible. (Better to be safe than sorry).  And if you have to venture out, and you see a friend, holler at your boy from a distance.  Otherwise, your loved one who has a routine emergency room need might become critically ill or even die, just cause you wanted to dap me up.  

#Social Distancing

#JUST WAVE