Now that the toilet paper shortage has become a part of our everyday conversation, it seems that we need to make room for another shortage in our vocabulary. There seems to be a shortage of tape measures as is obvious by the alarming number of people who do not seem to understand what 6 feet of distance means.
Now while the old adage “Ignorance is bliss” might be one that we are most familiar with, the pandemic situation in today’s world calls for a modification––“Ignorance brings sickness and death.”
SIX FEET APART OR SIX FEET UNDER. This is not a punishment assigned by the government; it’s a fact of life, which can turn into a fact of death.
We realize we are expressing this sentiment in somewhat harsh terms. But it’s not too much news or Google and falling prey to many of the vast inaccuracies on the information highway about this virus that leads to this stern expression.
It’s me, driving around the neighborhoods this newspaper has served for more than 40 years, and observing from the windows of my car the behaviors of people, despite the flood of warnings––backed by science.
On Liberty Avenue, three women, most likely a mother and two teenage daughters, huddled together while walking on the deserted stretch–– none wearing gloves, a mask, a scarf or anything else remotely protective, passing a water bottle between them.
Or how about the four young people on the corner of 92nd Street and 157th Avenue in Howard Beach who encounter each other and exchange a series of handgrips and hugs. Again—no masks, no gloves, no 6 feet.
And what about the two men, standing and waiting for a bus on Cross Bay Boulevard in a bus shelter? One is smoking and the other apparently asks for a light. The smoking man takes the cigarette from his mouth and passes it to the other one who lights his cigarette and passes it back at which point the other guy takes back his cigarette and puts it back in his mouth. I wonder whom those two wizards were going home to…
While there are really no words to describe these types of individuals, fortunately there are words to describe other people around our communities: Selfless, dedicated, determined, compassionate–– the list of adjectives for them goes on and on.
People who are working tirelessly so that those needing help get it. The full compliment of first responders, every nurse, doctor, technician, and physician’s assistant in our hospitals. They are risking their lives for us all the while that careless and selfish individuals do nothing to stop the stem of the virus.
Then there are the unsung heroes. They are people who are cooking for elderly neighbors and leaving packages outside doors. They are people who are working in supermarkets pulling orders and preparing them for delivery. They are people behind the counters in pharmacies, getting medications and healthcare supplies prepared. They are drivers for UPS and FedEx and Amazon delivering essentials people can’t otherwise get. They are to be thanked, praised and appreciated.
The least we can do for these people is show them the respect and the love they deserve from all of us to in some way repay their sacrifices.
Get smart people. Be home. Be safe.
