04/21/2022 of COVID-19 Life

Chel Owens

I haven’t written about local COVID conditions since last October. Considering how compulsively I felt the need to describe life constricting around me when The Plague first came around, I should describe life releasing one again with as much compulsion.

Rather than label my error as ‘pessimism,’ I’ll optimistically posit that where things are heading now is what I am accustomed to; what is normal. Where things headed in spring of 2020 looked like the plot line for a dystopian novel.

Speaking of lines, things are flattening out once again…

Thanks, coronavirus.utah.gov. An important note is that this is one graph, no matter the variant tested for.

In Utah, the public atmosphere is mixed. Everyone behaves as if no pandemic existed, exists, or will exist again. …mostly. Public stores have lingering signs on the doors about masking or staying home if sick. I see a patron here or there, sporting the determined half-covered-face look.

We were not asked to mask at three sons’ pediatrician appointments; we were at a different pediatrician appointment for a different son.

I’ve visited a new dentist as a normal, everyday person; an old endodontist as a masked, must-be-healthy, sign-all-these-haven’t-had-a-cold-or-been-vacationing threat.

I faced a similar interrogation in taking Boy #6 to an appointment to look at his Sloth-like head shape:

©2022 Chel Owens

You know, Sloth-like in the back. His front is very smiley and social. As a side note: those baby helmet thingies are really, really expensive. They’re the orthodontics of infants with a similar price tag and aversion to insurance coverage.

On the plus side, the few times I hear of a person contracting Coronavirus I also hear words like “mild case,” “not bad,” and “feel fine now.” Encouragement to be boosted is seen on a billboard here, and a notice at the doctor’s office there -but I don’t feel hammered on the head about it. I am not in the workforce, however, so the environment might be different in that pool.

Inflation is finally accepted as happening. I guess the emperor couldn’t keep people looking at promotional ads for nudity any longer. Whatever; the prices are what they are. Maybe we can go back to an agrarian lifestyle …once the housing market settles down.

—–

©2022 Chel Owens

32 thoughts on “04/21/2022 of COVID-19 Life”

  3. Sounds about the way things are, here in California. Your boy #6 looks cute. As for things getting back to completely normal, that probably depends on where one lives, as it seems things like mask mandates have become more political science-based than natural science-based.

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    1. Seriously… I was ‘good’ and had my oldest wear a mask to his checkup because he had cold symptoms. The doctor listened and said, “Yeah; I think it’s a cold.” -last year, they would have swabbed him up and told us to stay away from school for seven days.

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  5. he is so adorable😍… hope the this will get back to normal soon. Inflation is happening across Nations, it happens here too, glad you accepted, most are yet to realise it’s happening. Great post Chel.❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  7. It’s starting to get more relaxed here in Malaysia too, not because of the government, but because of the people. So many people I know already had it, and that only reduced the fear even more. I myself just stay home as much as I can, even though I’ve returned to my old passion of martial arts, since it’s legal now. Anyway, thanks for sharing!

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  8. Covid has been around long enough now that people are normalising it. Just getting on with life, which is fine. Dandy. Normal! At least as some all too freely say. People ARE sick of restrictions, masks etc. But trivialise this mutating little ba- bacteria at your peril. 989K cases as of yesterday in the US and still counting. Down.
    I had it, I don’t want it again, in any version, way, shape or form.

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    1. The virus has mutated, as the Spanish Flu did (I think; I wasn’t around then). I’m fairly certain we all got the less terrible strain. I’d like to avoid any such pandemic again, but maybe we’ll have a similar pattern of normal then SHUTDOWN in 100 years….

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  9. My wife and I just visited our son in Montana, and I felt safe the entire time. We happened to fly home on the day before many of the airlines lifted their mask mandates. I’m going to embark on my two-week Springer brother reunion tour at the start of May. That will involve several flights. I think I’ll continue to wear my mask there. Suddenly, it hit me—what if I get Covid when I’m traveling? I won’t be able to fly home, and I’ll have to quarantine at one of the brothers’ houses. I’m not a fanatic about it, but how can I not think about it? We have new next-door neighbors. The last guy (only in his 50s) passed from Covid, and his widow moved away. Very sad! Like most issues, I can see both sides.

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    1. I think you’ll be fine. The virus seems to have mutated to a less-dangerous strain. They’re not even having the kids test before coming back to school… I think it’s justifiably lost its seriousness.

      I’m very sorry about your neighbor. We had two people in our neighborhood whom we all prayed for, yet they passed away from COVID. It’s so sad.

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  10. We did our best to normalize even in the height of things, museums, a movie and a lodge on a lake all masked up. We both had Covid and I recently got booster #2 and I am tired of sickness only being considered Covid more than anything. Masking is very lax here now in Pennsylvania, people still mask up, but it’s no longer mandatory. People still mask at my job and it’s still a requirement in Doctors Office and Hospitals. But we just got back from an overnight vacation in Hershey and we’re mask free the entire time. I’m not trivializing it nor am I thinking it’s squashed, but with 75% of the population vaccinated it feels less threatening.

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  11. ackkk what a cutie pieeee! 😀

    Things here in Toronto, Canada are up in the air… they’ve stopped doing mass testing… so it’s hard to gage how bad it is but I’m guessing it’s pretty bad… most of the cases here are mild to moderate… I had a bit of that during my stint the last two weeks! Mask mandates have been lifted unless you use public transit or work in a high-risk setting like hospitals and nursing homes, etc…

    *shrugs*… we move forward with faith….

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  12. First, you and your baby look adorable! Next I live in the crazy state of Florida. So pretty much Democrats wear masks and Republicans don’t. In my over 55 condo you can pretty much tell how people vote by their masks. Lol

    But, here’s the thing, nothing has changed at my doctor’s office. I go for maintenance chemo every 21 days. EVERYONE must wear a mask. NOBODY but patients can enter, and we still get our temperatures taken. The reason is all of us cancer patients who are in varying stages of treatment, are still vulnerable to infection, therefore everyone who works there wears a mask as do the patients. The doctors perform life saving surgeries 3 out of 5 days a week and so they wear masks. They also won’t operate until patients are tested for Covid. Any Ct Scans or PET scans I get ( every 3 months) at the hospital require masks for everyone. I’m fine with that. The schools require teachers to wear masks but leave it up the kids which makes no sense. Meanwhile, my niece teaches 4th grade and she has had to quarantine her students half a dozen times this year because Covid still is ramped. If one kid in a classroom gets it, more than half the class get it. Kids are always super spreaders. Lol

    * I have an old high school friend who is an ER doctor in St Louis and he just posted the other day that Covid numbers are up in his area and rising. He told everyone (I am still close with all my high school friends on Facebook) to start wearing masks again. He has been accurate every time there was a new variant and a rise in deaths nationwide. The poor guy was about to retire when Covid hit in 2020 and he had to up his hours. He was needed more than ever. We chat often on messenger or by phone. Anyway,. He lost a first cousin to Covid at the height of the disease and so he is determined to stay on top of things to prevent anyone from getting sick. My graduating class lost several friends due to Covid early on and so we all have a grapevine of keeping each other aware and safe. But many of those friends are now traveling and always wear masks.

    I am quite lucky that I still have a close knit group of friends, even though many of us are spread all over the country. I never would have imagined that my good friends I did the twist with, saw Jimi Hendrix with, Bob Dylan with and even surfed with are still good buddies. We are teachers, doctors, lawyers, you name it… but we are still good buddies. We are teachers, doctors, lawyers, you name it… but we are still close. That’s pretty special. We are due to meet up again as a group this fall and sadly there will be friends missing this year from Covid. BUt, I have learned that wearing a mask means I dont have to worry that anyone can see I now have a double chin. Haha. Peace and love y’all. Continue to stay safe. Xoxo

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    1. I did wonder how things were in Florida. It seems a very evenly divided state, politically.

      The office I’m taking my son to for the head-shaping helmet is also still insisting on masks. It’s a similar deal: vulnerable population (babies) need to stay healthy. When COVID first struck, my first caboose baby was only three months old. I was TERRIFIED.

      I sincerely hope the variants will continue in decreasing severity.

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