A Cowardly (and freaky) New World

A Cowardly (and freaky) New World

          It’s been a while since my last story. I’ve been busy and Judy and I have traveled on the motorcycle to many places if interest. But this is not what I write about today. Today I write about a stark reality that has hit me like a rock to the face while on top of two wheels and I’m scared.

          First, let me start off by admitting to a bit of hypocrisy on my part. I got “THE shot”. I had always stood firm on my personal convictions about getting “the shot”. I have never been against those who choose to get it and I still stand beside those who do not. To me, it was, and still is, a personal matter based on my beliefs much like those who choose to not wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle and the facts based upon the CDC’s own numbers that those who lost their lives to Covid-19 amount to about two percent of all those infected. And so too I wonder just how accurate those numbers really are.

          After much encouragement from my wife, I finally caved in. Judy has seen the effects of the pandemic firsthand in her profession as a heart/ lung nurse. In her last plea to me I could see the sincerity in her eyes and her love for myself and family. I challenge anyone to try to admit never doing something for the love of a loved one.

          I am not proud I did it. I am not happy I did it. But neither am I regretful about it either. I did what I did for the reason I stated. So be it. But I do regret going against my personal convictions. Convictions I had held strong to during this whole Covid-19 fiasco. (Please, DO NOT extend thanks for getting the shot. I don’t want it!!)

          So now that I have confessed to my hypocrisy, I hope you can better understand the following reality I have witnessed.

Today started out normally. I had some errands to run as well as a dentist appointment. I was sitting in front of the television enjoying my breakfast while watching the news and the latest propaganda spewing from one of the major networks.

          There was a discussion panel talking about, you guessed it, Covid-19 and the latest variant of the bug, the “Delta” variant. After hearing about the pandemic for well over a year now, I spewed a few choice words at the panel of “experts” and was about to turn the TV to something more my politic flavor when one of the experts stated that even though you have been vaccinated you can still get Covid-19 and still be a carrier but that the risks are lower. And so too, that people should still wear masks.

I couldn’t help but wonder what the next variant will be called and how soon it will suddenly pop up after the Delta starts to die down. “Why did I get vaccinated? I’m sick of this (crap)!”

Now there are businesses that are refusing goods and services to those not vaccinated, forcing those who aren’t to do so. If I must show my “papers” to those businesses, I don’t want their business. Laugh and scoff if you will. But could this be the threshold of the mark of the beast or the door closing on our freedoms?

Why are we still supposed to stay apart? Refuse a handshake and wear a mask? Bull!! If I extend my hand to you, it is out of friendly respect and honesty. Or perhaps it is a symbol of my oath to carry out an agreement or deal. Whatever the reason, to turn away my hand is to turn away from me.

Since the beginning of human existence mankind has always been a carrier of bacteria, viruses, and other microscopic goblins. So why now at a percentage of two percent death rate from the latest boogie man?

I have no qualms with those who choose, of their own free will, to mask up or to get the vaccine or not. Just please, PLEASE, don’t tell me it’s for my own good. I, and I alone, will decide what is best for myself and/or my family. Just as I support those who choose not to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle, even though I may not agree.

After a shower and my blood pressure returning to its pre news report level, I headed out for the morning’s chores.

I was headed to a rendezvous with a friend at a new and modern business. I had stopped for a red light and started to look around when I noticed the car to my left was waiting to make a left turn. The young(ish) driver was head down and texting. At the same time a young male was crossing in front of me, also head down and texting. The two were completely oblivious to any and all of their surroundings. Do they know or care that there’s a whole world out there? Wake up people!! Know and enjoy your surroundings so you don’t kill someone. Nothing you have to say in a text is so important you can’t wait.

But perhaps the starkest reality of our time, and the very troubling reality of things to come, was meeting my friend. I walked into the main doorway and was alerted by a sign saying everyone entering the building must wear a mask. Reluctantly, and cursing under my breath, I complied for the sake of my friend.

When I walked through the inner door I stopped and just stood there in utter disbelief. Where there was once a smiling and helpful receptionist sitting behind a semi-circle desk, there was now a group of machines. It gave me a sense of coldness. It was bleak, lifeless, and unfeeling. It was an empty electronic void.

I stood as directed by another sign, in front of a monitor that took my temperature and directed me to sign-in at the iPad to my left. Again, I did as directed by the damn machine. After signing in on the iPad I was directed a third time to read and answer the paper questionnaire. It asked about my recent whereabouts and my contacts (If known) with those who may have, or been exposed to, Covid-19. There was no pen or pencil to fill out the survey, so I skipped the only semi-human piece of equipment there and took a cold and lonely seat in the empty environment and waited for my buddy.  

After what seemed like an eternity, a man in a mask and hairnet on his head and chin told me that my friend was unable to see me today due to an unexpected meeting.

I ask the man about all the electronic equipment and was told that that’s the way they do things now and he sees no end to it in the future and that everything is done electronically and even the hiring and interviewing are all done via email or Web. He honestly seemed proud of it! Stunned and in disbelief I told the man that I would not want to work in that kind of environment and left.

I am human! When I want answers, I want to talk to other humans. I want human responses to my questions. The thought of such a world, or even work environment, sickens me.

Seeing all that and hearing all the “news” on the TV an hour previous left me disheartened and thinking that all those electronics replaced a human worker.

My next stop for the day left me even more sorry for our species. I had to stop at the local “super center” to get my phone recharged with the purchase of a card. Walking into the store I noticed more than a few of our kind who had no thought or care of how they presented themselves to the public. Dirty and unkept clothing hung loosely as if they spent the night on the couch in a drunken or drugged state of unconsciousness. In all of my observations of these humans I noticed one thing in common. They all had their heads glued to a smart phone who’s worth would put my old and meager flip phone in the bargain bin at a secondhand store.

(I was always taught to take pride in the way you look and observed my dad following his own rule. He would always look presentable in pubic. If even to go to the hardware store for a quick purchase.)

I found my refill phone card and waited behind a “gentleman” whose face and neck ink would fill a small ink well. He was trying to act… I guess you could say “cool”, as he was making his purchase. I shook my head and went to the front of the store.

Here once more I will admit to a small bit of hypocrisy to the fact that I went through the self-checkout.

I have always been a severe and stanch critic of the self-checkout. Each one of those has replaced a human and in turn saved the company, not only the wages, but the insurance premiums. All without a discount to the customer of even so much as one percent.

But I was in a hurry to get home to the sanity and sanctuary of my world and so I checked myself out and left.

I found my truck and got inside to drive home but remembered I have no cell service where I live and decided to refill my time on my phone right there in the parking lot. It was after refilling my account that I realized I had bought my card and checked it out and then added the amount to my account. All without exchanging any form of hard currency with just a few clicks of a couple of buttons.

I will leave with one final observation.

I stopped on my way home at the local stop-n-rob for a quick coffee and snack for lunch. I had parked next to a handicap spot and got out to get my lunch. I returned with my lunch and decided to enjoy it outside on the provided tables.

I was facing my truck and watched in bitter disappointment as three different patrons, at three different times, parked in the handicap spot and placed their handicap placard on the rear-view mirror and got out of their vehicles and walked, as good as I, into the store.

The accounts of the day remind me of two things. The 1971 sci-fi movie “THX 1138” and the song from 1969 by Zager & Evans “In the Year 2525”. Each of them tells of things that may come to be. They’re not too far off.