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On Friday, we were going to have lunch together at Ricardo’s in Amherstburg, but due to the virus outbreak and attendant restrictions, the luncheon had to be cancelled. Too bad, too: the food there is really good!
It’s getting a little hard to remember . . . Does anyone remember, just what life used to be like before the outbreak. I can remember, as a child, going from Cowboys and Indians to Buck Rodgers and Flash Gordon! Wow! Space travel before Nasa and the man on the moon! Buck was in the Saturday papers and Flash was in the Serials at the movies . . . And, then, as a young man in High School, I discovered girls. Then, there was adulthood, with all the jobs. And then, the Lay off. I remember leaving Windsor on the train, in the fall of 1961, about to join the RCAF. I met another guy at the station who was going to join as well, and when we went to sit down on the train, we both met two girls, who were both going to join. We turned the seat around, and the four of us had a party – right through to Montreal . . . And then the real bombshell went off! The month of October, 1962, when everyone in the world thought it would all end with a Russian A-bomb! - The Cuban Missile Crisis! Pretty soon after that, I had started work again as a civilian in Ottawa, and I married Inge. But I could go on, and on, and on . . . I retired to Perth, and nine years later, moved back to Windsor, and rediscovered ‘Free on Friday’ or South Windsor Seniors, as its known today. And then, Covid-19 attacked. What was it like, before the virus? Well, as I recall, it was pretty much normal, but I don’t think life will ever be the same again. Who knows what the ‘new normal’ will be like? Stay safe, stay well, get some fresh air if you can, and keep smiling . . . ‘til we meet again . . .
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The ‘new normal’ – what will it be like? Well, aside from it being the same, but different, I don’t think anybody knows. Well, it doesn’t hurt to speculate – to play a game, if you will.
Things to consider:
Come to think of it, maybe there won't be any offices at all! What, with everyone working at home, maybe they just won't be needed! If that’s a sign of what the new normal will be like, it sure will be different! We have just about become a cash less society. I can still remember the day that Inge and I got our first credit card. It was good only at one store – Simpson Sears, but it saved our bacon more than once. And, over the years, then came the gas card, and before you knew it, most of us had cards that were good anywhere (as long as we made the payments). The end was near, when, we all got cooped up wherever we were, and very soon the only payment that was encouraged, or even ‘allowed’, was the ‘tap’ of a credit or debit card. It sure will be different! And, then there’s the internet. I wonder how long it will be, before all the malls and retail stores will be gone and we all will have to buy everything on line. And, if we can buy everything on line, we can already just about do everything else, either on line or by telephone. Wow! It sure will be different . . . But I do know one thing - now is not the time to be impatient! We all have to stay home a bit longer. How much longer? Well, nobody knows for sure. Stay safe, stay well, get some fresh air if you can, and keep smiling . . . ‘til we meet again . . . I think this was the first, or one of the first, guest appearances to get cancelled, right after the club decided to cancel all meetings and club activities. Yesterday, we were supposed to host the Hospice Charity Benefit – NIL-A NOVA Band, Directed by Kevin Masterson in the sanctuary of Paulin Memorial Church, where we usually meet, I should say – used to meet. That is, before the advent of Covid-19 restrictions.
I stay home a lot these days – just like a lot of you. At the risk of sounding like the proverbial broken record, how is everyone doing? No, I take that back! I really mean it! How is everyone doing? I do hope that every one of you is safe, well, and still smiling! Inge, Rosie (our dog) and I are OK. In fact, just like most of you, we stay home, except for the odd dash to Food Basics for groceries, all the time. Even our meds are delivered to our door. Inge tries to walk Rosie every day that it’s not raining, and I walk a few blocks, close to our house. How much longer will our stay-at-home routine have to last? The plain truth is – nobody knows. But I do know this. Now is not the time to be impatient! Now is the time to persevere! We can wonder, just as I do, what the ‘new normal’ will be like. We all have developed coping mechanisms, at least some of us have, being cooped up at home. But sometimes, I just wonder what our ‘new normal’ will be like . . . Stay safe, stay well, get some fresh air if you can, and keep smiling . . . ‘til we meet again . . . To all of the ladies who are mothers in our club – Happy Mother’s Day! And, to the guys, in case you forgot, or just didn’t know, tomorrow is Mother’s Day, and it’s still possible to run to the store if you’re so inclined.
Well, This week was one of those weeks in the Skinner family! Our old Tucson, our trusty family car gave up the ghost, so to speak. I was going to run it until the wheels dropped off, but I didn’t count on what stopped it. The brake lines all rusted out. As soon as the first one leaked, the rest of them followed suit! Thank goodness Inge, who was driving at the time, made it home OK. And, so, now we are the proud drivers (or should I say “parkers”) of the nice new car parked in our driveway. And, so, it all begins again – the oil changes and other service appointments with the dealer! Our Tucson was eleven years old. I guess it really didn’t owe us a lot . . . How is everyone doing? I hope you all are safe, and smiling! It’s hard enough for Inge, Rosie and I, to stay home, but at least we’re getting outside a bit - Inge walks Rosie on days that it’s not raining, and I walk around the neighbourhood, just to get out a bit. The streets and sidewalks are mostly deserted, so it’s no trick at all to stay socially distanced. Think of those poor people who are stuck in a small apartment. Especially one without windows . . . Stay safe, stay well, get some fresh air if you can, and keep smiling . . . ‘til we meet again . . . The guest speaker today was to be Cria Kohl, Great Lakes Marine Historian/Scuba Diver, Seawolf Communications Inc., talking about Great Lakes Shipwrecks. So, today was going to be a mystery (at least to me). Today we were supposed to hear about old ships that went to the bottom of the Great Lakes.
But, today, I rediscovered why we had to have some rainy days. There was a row of tulips blooming right next door! There must be some truth in that old saying – ‘April showers bring May Flowers’. I guess we can choose to be a lot of things, now that we’re all cooped up at home. I chose to be happy; to look on the bright side, and I hope that all of you are happy, regardless what boat you are in – happy and safe. And, what more could I ask for? Here I am, alone with the love of my life, Inge, together with our old dog, Rosie, stuck, alone in our house! Life could sure be a whole lot worse! I really hope that it’s going just as well for everyone else! Our hearts go out to the people who lost loved ones in Nova Scotia. What a tragedy. That an individual could be so disturbed that he would resort to such violence. For those of us with the technology – a smart phone, tablet, laptop or computer and internet access, we can tune in to Cake and a Concert at 7 PM on Saturday – Tomorrow! Wow! And you thought we were all just stuck! I sent an email out yesterday to everyone that I had an email address. As I said in the email, the WSO String Quartet was going to play for us in June, but had to cancel due to the Covid-19 attack restrictions – They’re doing this online concert instead. Here we are, at home, a very familiar place, in a really scary world – but as I said, earlier, it really could be a whole lot worse. Stay safe, stay well, get some fresh air if you can, and keep smiling . . . ‘til we meet again . . . |
AuthorLarry Skinner - Webmaster for South Windsor Seniors Archives
January 2021
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