WOW!  Just WOW!

The past week was an interesting one.  Our lockdown is starting to be lifted and with that comes some interpretations of what that means.  I’ve seen lots of press conferences, medical specialists, government officials and I am still terribly confused.  So, how do we start to re-connect?  I have no clue.

I’ve been very conservative since returning from Pittsburgh and Louisville.  Knowing that I’ll be going back to Louisville soon, and knowing that Katie’s family will be coming to help me soon with my move, I have kept myself very protected. 

There was a quick trip to Kroger to pick up my click-list order and a couple of trips to Mt. Notre Dame to pick up my personal items and finish up some work.  These trips were totally legit, with masks, gloves, sanitizer and follow-up before and after my dealings with these locations.

Then, there was a long weekend…and a chance to have a “driveway” meetup!  It may have been a quick one, but it provided me with something to look forward to and my first step back in a social setting.  Until now, my circle has been very close…and very small.

So, I packed up my iced tea and my mask and ventured out to visit with my friends…in their driveway.  They were waiting for me.  No mask required as our seats were spread out far enough to be safely distanced.

It was awesome to have a face to face.  Not a video conference, but a real visit.  This visit was short and very sweet.  It was my first step!

On Sunday, a similar meeting occurred.  This time, there were bloody Marys involved!  But still, an outdoor meeting and it lasted three hours.  Again…very sweet!  Feels so good to be around people.

These two outings have done wonders for me!  I crave more of the same!  And I crave those hugs!!

I found hope in these baby steps.  But for some reason, I was brought down a bit.  While reviewing updates on Facebook, I found a lot of ridiculous posts from people, in response to various friends.  In two days, three of my friends who I know well, removed their posts or found themselves defending themselves (for real?)  based on remarks from their “friends” on Facebook.   

Let me explain.  One friend put something on Facebook, nothing hateful, nothing political, just a statement about staying positive and quit finding the negative in everything!  The firestorm began.  I actually commented that I agreed.  It takes too much energy to focus on the negative and I choose positive.  There were people on her page that criticized her for being so positive…the person said, “You positive people “irk” me.”  This was not a sarcastic remark because she continued the battle with remarks about mental health and it would be nice if we (the positive ones) would be a little more thoughtful and compassionate about those who have mental issues.  The person who originally posted is a good friend and I know she meant no malice or hate with her post and she is all too familiar with mental illness and I know she would never dismiss the difficulties of staying positive when you struggle to get out of bed.  She was simply stating something that bothered her…probably referring to someone that she knows, who always goes to the negative side of every situation. 

Just hours later, another friend who I know meant no hate or ill will, posted about a situation in the news.  Again, she posted her feelings that things turned out well for the person in the news, (about the young girl who had been missing all week), it looks as though this young lady may have staged her disappearance.  My friend said nothing hateful, just sad that so many people had been involved in the search and it wasn’t what it appeared to be.  She removed her post after re-thinking her post and taking static from people who indicated that she didn’t know the whole story.

Then the next day, there was another friend on Facebook who got some feedback that may have indicated she didn’t care, deleted her post as well.

Yet another friend, didn’t take down her post, but the negative back and forth was totally out of line.

I normally don’t comment or say much in the form of criticism when I see these things, but on all of these, I found myself commenting.  I tried to be supportive of the friend who was posting and some of the people on these posts, sent out snide remarks to me. 

Finally, a neighbor blasted my sweet daughter and her family while on a walk on Memorial Day.  They were picking up the dog poop from a yard (close to the sidewalk) as they always do, while with their dog.  The older man, stopped in the road, stopping traffic, and began a confrontational tone with them.  He blasted them for using his yard as a poop spot, he demanded they leave his property, and then he moved a few more feet up to his driveway.  He continued to yell out his window, and even had the nerve to say, “How nice to teach your baby to disrespect other people’s property.”  When Katie responded, “We’re sorry.  Have a nice day.”  He lost it and said, “don’t give me that s###!  Everyone knows "have a nice day" is how you millennials say F*** you!"  Well, bless his heart!  And for those of you who know my southern belle joke, “That’s niiiiice!”  For real, my friends…you can’t make this s### up! 

So…there is that!  My conclusion is that with this lockdown/quarantine period, those who are often a little “rough around the edges” have gotten worse.  I have also come to realize that those who would normally post the fun things, have found themselves struggling to find the fun things.  They have time on their hands and they are posting from their hearts, or from a disappointing place, not knowing how long all of this is going to last.  As for the cranky neighbor, he obviously was having a bad day, and maybe he lives alone and this solitude is really getting to him.  But none of these really are an excuse.

I know that as this goes on, it gets harder and harder to feel “normal.”   I also know that we can’t lose ourselves…the kind, strong people I know and love are still those people.  I know that some have grown during this time.  I’ve seen it in many of them…although may not even know. 

So, as we begin to open back up, and safely try to connect with one another, I’m hoping that some of the S### on Facebook is left behind.  There’s enough yucky stuff out there without adding to it.  I refuse to believe that this sheltered time has not had some morsel of a positive effect on us…I think we are less needy, kinder and more willing to care for others.  I’ve seen more generosity and quality family time.

Tomorrow is a new day.  Find what makes your day better and do it!!   xoxoxox