What a lovely way to burn

Everybody's got the fever
That is something we all know
Fever isn't such a new thing
Fever started long ago

~~ "Fever" by The Cramps (written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell)

I'm all lost in the supermarket, I can no longer shop happily

Madness is upon us. 

Friends from around the country are posting photos of empty shelves at grocery stores. Shelves emptied of bread, milk, and eggs, because it seems that in dire times, everyone makes French toast. 

Not a bad way to go, although personally, I'd rather be drinking wine and eating dark chocolate when the curtain falls upon me. 

I went out today to pick up a prescription (and to be honest, I did a double beer run because preparation!) and found that our local stores were well-stocked with everything except hand sanitizer. There was plenty of everything. So it surprised me to see friends posting photos of shelves cleared of so many things. It seems that people are really panicking about this viral threat and preparing for weeks of being isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. 

I'm not panicking. I take the threat seriously because I have a husband who is immunocompromised. I don't want him to get it and I don't want to be out and about and bring it home to him, you know? But I know that common sense precautions can make a difference, and that is what we are trying to do. 

I'm not a "prepper" who stockpiles water and hooks a bicycle up to batteries to somehow keep the lights on. However, we live in a rural area, and although stores are a short drive away, they are not within walking distance. I'm also the child of parents who grew up during the Depression, so I have always been a stocker-upper. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that we could live for six months off of what I have in the pantry and in our freezers, not to mention the wine cellar. I even have lots of food for Sheeba the Cat! 

I've noticed lately that my sense of humor has gotten really dark...almost fatalistic. I am absolutely not in the "we're all gonna die" camp. I honestly think we'll weather this, although it could get very serious for a lot of people. I guess it's just my way of coping. Sometimes you really just have to laugh. It might verge on hysterical laughter, but kee-rist, sometimes you just need an outlet! 

So do whatever you need to do to find joy. Reach out to people. I ran into our friend Tom at the store today, and later, I realized that I did exactly what I shouldn't be doing...I gave him a big hug, not once, but twice. That is going to be hard for me because I am at heart an affectionate person with my friends. But it brought me so much joy to see him and talk with him and laugh with him. Hang onto that joy and that connection, but work hard to keep a bit of distance, at least physically. I learned today how hard that will be for me. Human interaction is so important. 

However, we can still maintain it by being kind to one another. I know that fear can breed anger and hatred but please don't let that happen to you or others. We really are in this together, and our actions will have a bearing on how we get through this. 

I truly believe that we will be okay, although it's going to be a rough road. Help make it smoother by being kind to others, being considerate, being careful. 

We'll get by with a little help from our friends. Believe it.