Polio was our boogie man. The first quarantine sign on the block brought lectures from our mothers about being careful. There would be others. One by one they would appear and with each one our world seemed to grow smaller. Mothers limited the things we could do and the distance we could travel from the house. If too many signs appeared in the neighborhood we were limited to our back yards. I don't remember any of our gang getting polio, but everyone knew someone who did.
These days we often use the phrase 'game changer.' In 1955 Dr Jonas Salk and the Salk Vaccine was a game changer. I was fifteen at that time and if I remember correctly it took a couple of years to produce enough vaccine for everyone, and when it was available that should have been the end of polio. But it wasn't. It took about four or five years for the disease to disappear. Why? Because people didn't get themselves inoculated right away. Didn't think they had to; didn't think it was a problem. They learned differently shortly before before their kids became crippled or died.
I saw a poll on television this morning regarding corona virus saying that most people are practicing social distancing, but only about 35% are wearing masks and/or gloves. Maribel and I wear masks and gloves, and in most settings feel like curiosities. Last week a young man in the neighborhood started coughing and sneezing as Maribel walked past. He thought that was funny. Two weeks ago while walking in a park (the park in the previous post) there was a young teenage couple approaching us. Shortly after passing us the young woman began coughing and sneezing. Maribel shouted out, "Payasa!!", which in Spanish means a female clown. I just shook my head. You know what I hope? I hope that young woman contracted coronavirus and recovered 100%, but had the crap scared out of her and is now telling all of her friends to take precautions.
Some of the casual attitude about taking precautions comes from our very nature..."It will happen to the other guy but never to me." And part of it comes from the mixed messages we received and are still receiving from our leaders. How does one know what to do when the governor of Michigan is locking the state down tight with the strictest regulations in the country, while the governor of Georgia says it is not necessary to close the beaches? Incidentally, the Georgia governor says he just learned last week that corona virus can be transmitted by people who show no symptoms. How can he just learn that last week? Sanjay Gupta and Anderson Cooper over at CNN had a field day with that one. Of course they have a field day with everything.
CNN is not my go-to network. At the present I don't see them as a news network, but more of a personal vendetta network. Their whole purpose is to attack/embarrass Donald Trump. They try their damnedest to get Fauci or Brix or anyone else to contradict Trump. They deliberately bait Trump with gotcha questions or comments at the daily dog and pony show. Anything to create controversy. Give it up already!! Yes, Trump says stupid stuff. Yes, he waffles and contradicts himself. Yes, he's a liar, a bully and a megalomaniac. Anyone capable of utilizing objectivity who has been following his actions these past four months knows that. It doesn't need to be proven over and over again every minute of every day! CNN, please find some non-Trump news to report on!
Apparently "I-have-absolute-power" Trump is getting close to declaring the corona virus over in some form or another, and apparently some governors are preparing to ignore or resist him. Whatever, we the people will still not have clear direction. For myself, no matter who says what, Maribel and me are going to do what makes sense to us, and in the meantime hope that there is another Dr. Jonas Salk quietly working on a break-through vaccine.
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