Lying in bed listening to the storm outside with the wind whistling through the branches of the trees drew parallels with the storm we are facing in our lives. The virus has made us all change our way of living and wonder when it will end. Despite government’s assurances about the safety of leaving the house most people my age are still wary of venturing out. We have ventured a few times into town but it is a nervous time. It is not the people as old as us but the younger ones. They do not appear to understand social distancing. Some younger people get impatient and push the old out of the way. They are not wearing masks. It is as though they think because the young are not effected so much by the virus it does not matter about the affect on other people. Not all are like this and these keep their distance.
Our church has stair ted to hold services on a Sunday again. It is wonderful to be back in the building again after services on you tube or zoom. It is not the same. We all sit apart without masks on. We are not allowed to sing but must say the words of the hymns. The Lord’s Prayer is muted through the masks. There is no handshakes or hugging after the service just say goodbye and out of the door. I read the passages from the bible and was amused to find it was about a storm on the lake.
In my book of short stories, The Cigar And Other Stories, there is one about trying to turn a ship in a gale. That is the difference lying in bed listening to the wind of a night. On a ship the structure groans and rattles. As waves cross the deck and the bow digs into the water there is a bang. But as the song You’ll Never Walk Alone from the musical Carousel says the storm will come to an end. We will conquer this pandemic but until we do everybody must play their part.
My book of short stories is available from Amazon.
