I don't consider myself a senior citizen, I feel like a young vibrant woman in the prime of my life. Yet, every day for the past month, I have been reminded by the media and actions of others that I am at an age that an illness of this magnitude could kill me. Yet the governor of the state I reside in is not concerned about my safety or the safety of most of the vulnerable public in Florida.
Governor DeSantis is a mini version of President Trump. However, what I want to tell the rest of the country is, no one in this state wants to keep our beaches open. We all want to be safe and healthy. The governor should have stopped the flow of visitors before bike week at the beginning of March.
Sadly, we can't begin to explain his actions. I have read countless op-eds in newspapers and online disparaging the governor's decision to not only leave beaches open but also not invoke the shelter in place order. They questioned his motives and asked him to explain himself. His response a week ago was to block the media that was writing the op-eds.
On April 1st, after the President was asked why Florida's Governor had not made the call to shelter in place, Mr. DeSantis held a press conference and quickly and haphazardly called for a kind of shelter in place policy. However, the next day he backtracked his policy in his terms. Allow everyone to roam freely in the state if they had a good enough reason. His recent change to the policy is letting religious organizations hold meetings as the Easter season is upon us and he feels this is a better solution than staying home and preventing a chance of becoming infected by a fellow parishioner that might not know he is caring the virus because he shows no symptoms.
For some reason, I fear he is taking his queue from the President's continued statements in his COVID-19 press conference. The President keeps stating his first instinct was to "let it ride" like it was a hurricane that we could not get out of the way and hunker down and see how it turns out in the end.
Like most level-minded people living in Florida, I am staying home, no matter how lonely and hard this is. It isn't forever. We will get back to life, maybe not life as usual but a life that will change for the good of our children's future.
What I wonder is what will the world be like after we have overcome the pandemic. No longer can we trust a handshake, fist bump or even a kiss on the cheek as an acceptable greeting. I come from a generation that always greeted people warmly with hugs and kisses.
Will the size of arenas and stadiums be reduced, and the seats move further apart? Will the number of airline seats be reduced, and the number of people permitted on subways and buses be monitored? Can we finally change the class sizes from elementary to the college level? No more risking the lives of our children and teachers with overcrowded classrooms and hallways.
Will we see more people outdoors enjoying the fruits of sunshine and not packed in restaurants and movie theaters? There have been signs coming from China and other major cities showing improvements in the environment. The fall in CO2 has not been evident since the end of World War II. If everyone goes back to live, as usual, we will see another pandemic within the next year or two. Companies that have sent many of their employees home to work should keep that an option for those that are willing. Homeschooling should be a part of every parent's life. Having certain classes or days designated as the day children learn from home.
As for the major sporting and concert events, I don't have a solution for them. However, I don't miss them. Many musicians and actors have found ways to entertain us through social media. Movie theaters might become a thing of the past or at least a limited number of seating and showings. Restaurants should offer reduced prices for to-go orders and most fast-food chains should offer delivery service for those that prefer the comforts of home. We can all stay in a social society without being in the same room. Many have found out that Skype, Zoom, and Facebook messenger are great for group discussions and connecting with family and friends.
Not that we are ever going to stop the spread of disease, many will consider changing a violation of their rights and they will cause havoc and fear for some, but we are resilient, and we will find the right balance to survive.
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