Dear Editor:
The world as we know it has changed radically within the period of the last four months.
Our daily routines have changed; our attitudes have changed; and so has the way we greet friends, neighbours and family. The crisis has taken a simple trip grocery shopping with the family, to a scene resembling a low budget Alfred Hitchcock horror film.
A whole new vocabulary has emerged and words re-defined in light of the current world medical emergency. “Social-distancing”, “PPE”, “COVID-19”, “self-isolation”, “six-foot perimeter of safety”, “flattening the curve”, etc. are all now part of our everyday vocabulary.
The stay home strategy has certainly been effective in helping quell this horror, but even that has its limits. A person can only do so many word searches, jigsaw puzzles, crosswords and quizzes before the mind goes blank and disengages itself from the world. The body can only put up with so much before it becomes damaged from stagnation and inactivity.
We still must get out and do something, anything; but of course taking all the precautions. Like a medieval knight entering the fray, I decided to venture out into this new world. I knew that I couldn’t do proper social distancing with this adventure, so I had to take extra precautions.
First, the outwear. I chose a ¾ length waterproof coat, the longest and least permeable that I had. I exchanged my cloth loafers for my leather and rubber soled shoes as an extra precaution. Next, the most important feature of all, the N-95 mask I had from some re-finishing project years ago. I adjust the nose strap and ensure no air passage is open to the outside. I wear glasses, but know this is not good enough; so out come the safety goggles as well. I also have a plexiglass face shield, so on it goes. Then I notice a pair of ear protectors, so ‘why not?’ Then a baseball cap to cover the hair ( backward of course so as not to interfere with the face shield). Finally a pair of rubber gloves!
Checklist complete…… weatherproof coat, footwear, goggles, mask, face shield, ear protector, cap, and gloves! Sounds like I’m ready to do grocery shopping, but no, I’ll be in the garage working with my table saw!
Folks, all kidding aside, we still have a very beautiful world! By all means, take those precautions, but do get outside, and as the saying goes, “Take time to smell the roses!”
Stay safe.
Ron Johnson,
Mount Forest