As we are well into our respective social distancing/shelter in place/stay at home/quarantine in each state, I am constantly amazed at the number of people who are blatantly ignoring the orders and recommendations to stay at home. Chicago had to deploy their police to the lakefront to shut down the path and the beaches because people were gathering en masse. Clearwater beaches were loaded down with spring breakers; Fort Lauderdale and Miami closed their beaches before them.

Churches, for the most part, have closed; it is so strange to be going through Lent, and coming into Holy Week without attending Mass, reconciliation, Stations of the Cross, etc. Yesterday was Palm Sunday, and I was just lost. Little Man and I looked around outside to see if we could find a branch with green leaves on it that we could place on the front door, but to no avail. We are no strangers to watching Sunday Mass on television or online, and I’ve actually started streaming Mass from the Cathedral in my dad’s town in Ireland. Ahhh…technology.

When Little Man and I went to the dump this morning, I chatted with The Redneck, who was working it today. He said there are about 250-300 additional people up here at the lake right now. I don’t blame them all for coming out here; there are 4 cases total in the county, it is extremely rural, and you just don’t have the large areas to congregate like in Chicago and the suburbs. The downside: they are starting to overwhelm the resources that are currently available. Yes, the towns and businesses out here survive on tourism, but this is not tourist season. The additional resources that are stocked up and supplied from late spring to early fall are not here, so this is an extra strain on the full-timers. At the dump, the recycling was completely overflowing; I’ve only ever seen it like that after Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labour Day, when we get all of the property owners out to celebrate and party. Over the weekend, I definitely noticed an increase in people. When Little Man and I would go on walks or short trail rides, we were constantly running into people. Now, it is easy to maintain the 6′ distance apart here, so that is not an issue, but the large influx in people, if it continues, will be.

In our neighbourhood, I’ve seen neighbours driving around, walking, waving, and chatting from porch to the street or end of the driveway. Some people have taken to throwing their camping chairs in the back of their ATVs or golf carts, and when they see someone they want to visit with, they will park, take their chairs out, and sit down and have a conversation without the drone of the cart/ATV in the background. This is so smart! Unlike the people that I’ve sen as I drive around who are just gathering in large groups, not bothering with keeping space between them.

Now, I’m not one to be all “Follow what the government says! Government knows all! They are the best and smartest!” However, when it comes to a virus that is being spread, I tend to prefer to maintain my distance. See, I am all about doing what is best for you, but I don’t want the government to tell me what they believe that is. I’m also not one to completely ignore everything and fight them tooth and nail; I know what is best for me, and jail or large fines is not that.

But the fact that people are still going out there, complaining that parks (really, parks are being shut down? We need fresh air and sunlight!!!) and other social areas are closed, while putting themselves and everyone they interact with at risk? What is the cause of that? As an introvert, I’m more than willing to do my part and stay home, stay away from people. I don’t even have to get paid to do it! But, on the flip side, I understand that we are social people, some more so than others. Some people thrive when they are surrounded by others (I will never fully understand this, try as I may), and others get so drained when they are in groups of people.

I guess the need for physical interaction, or it may just be the fact that they don’t give a damn what the government says, is too much for some people out there, so they are just going to do whatever they want. But, mark my words, they will be the first to complain that they were targeted, or they were never told that large gatherings could cause them to get sick, if they are arrested or happen to come down with this virus. It sure is an interesting scenario to watch play out.