Alabama was one of the last states to issue stay-at-home orders and one of the first to open up again. I have to say we enjoyed having the place largely to ourselves. Many of the snowbirds in our park delayed going home because their homes were still under orders and their kids urged them to stay. There’s nothing like a pandemic and physical distancing to make people crave social closeness. We need each other. And this group of folks have become our friends. Because they are older, they are very careful about getting too close. But we gather for “happy hour” most afternoons, outdoors, with six feet between, and no more than 10 people.
We’ve decided to stay one last month, to make it through Memorial Day weekend, but are making plans and reservations to move on. FINALLY! We’ll be one of the last of the winter folks to leave. From here, we’re headed into Florida, where Covid-19 is still on the rise. Some very generous friends offered us their site at an RV resort for two weeks around July 4. It is very difficult to get reservations during that time. It will be HOT! But the lovebugs swarms should have died down and viruses don’t spread as easily in hot climates (so the theory goes).
Just before the lockdown, Bill and I got our hair cut at Great Clips. I can usually go 6-8 weeks between cuts. Bill used to get his cut every two weeks, like clockwork. He had one trusted stylist who knew how to do it just right. Two days ago, I cut Bill’s hair for the third time. I must be doing an okay job if he keeps asking. In fairness, I only let him clean up my neck because I have pesky hairs that grow upward and make the hairs stick out.
It’s been about two and a half month since my last cut. Now that the salons are allowed open again, I decided I’d venture to Great Clips to get my mop cut. I used their online check-in that put me in the queue for 154 minutes and read their website about safety measures they’d put in place. I was pleasantly surprised.
When I arrived, I was met at the door by a mask-wearing “hair traffic controller”. It is his sole job to maintain distance and keep everyone safe. All people inside had to wear a mask. He asked me a series of questions about if I’d been sick or been around others who were sick. Then he made me wash my hands. There were only two people allowed in the waiting area with one customer at each of the four workstations with their stylists. I wore my mask the whole time, even holding it to my face as the stylist worked around my ears. He was all business and got me in and out quickly. I thanked him for the safety measures and he said they had to follow CDC guidelines to be open. He thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after each cut. I got out to the car, took off my mask and sanitized before I drove away.
So, I survived. I suppose, in theory, I should wait 14 days to be sure I’m symptom free to say that. But as places open up, this is going to be the new normal until a vaccine. It makes you appreciate the service workers, truly ESSENTIAL WORKERS, who haven’t had the ability to quarantine. I always said the custodians and janitors were the true superheroes in disguise. This pandemic proved that. Maybe they should get paid more for their essential work.
How are you faring? Have you ventured out to do a simple task that now seems monumental? How do you show your gratitude for the people you encounter who are just doing their job?
