A friend of mine once told me “you’ll never go wrong by underestimating the intelligence of the average person” and that’s been on full display during the coronavirus pandemic.

How many times have you watched, listened to or read stories about people who simply refuse to get on board with the social distancing that is obviously needed?  I find myself shouting at the TV during the nightly news about the stupidity of those who can’t be more than six inches away from others instead of six feet.

Frankly I could care less about their health and welfare but it’s what they might do to others and we have a right to be ticked off when it impacts us.  If you have to go shopping and are conscious of staying away from others then how do you react when someone comes right next to you?  It happened to me last weekend and I walked away to give myself some distance.

Of course the real problem is we (and I say "we" to generalize) are simply out and about too much.  You should only be leaving your home when it’s necessary, not to make a daily stop at the store which many continue to do.  Do you really need that pound of sliced turkey today or might it be smarter to buy that during what should be a weekly trip at most.

By all accounts the next few weeks are going to be the worst.  Doctors, nurses, EMT’s, lab workers, pharmacists and others are putting their lives on the line every day and all most of us are being asked to do is sacrifice just a bit.

Do our best to stay inside the comfort of our homes, with a million things to watch on TV’s, laptops and smart phones.  Work on a puzzle, play games, go outside in our front or back yards when it’s nice.  It’s the least we can do to protect not only our families but yours.

The late John Boyd, longtime captain of the Seaside Heights Beach Patrol would alert those in the water and on the beach when lifeguards were leaving for the day.  He would boom over the public address system that swimmers should clear the water and then close with, “STAY OUT, STAY ALIVE.”

For this purpose it’s, “STAY IN, STAY ALIVE.”

Stay healthy my friends!

 

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