Wearing Green and Starting Fresh : Happy St. Patrick's Day in the COVID-19 US-of-A

Sorry for yet another delayed post, guys. I've had a lot going on with a new musical project, and a lot of my personal time has been reallocated to other things for a bit, so I have been off my normal weekly Friday posting schedule. Anyhow, let's get to it...

One year ago today, I embarked on a journey which started as an invigorating and new adventure but came sputtering to a miserable, embarrassing halt 7 and a half months later, having drained me of both money and some of my sanity along the way. Happy to say though, that today I'm in a far better "place" than I was a year ago. At least emotionally and mentally. I'll never get back the money I was bled of, or the time that was essentially wasted, but I'm coping nicely, all things considered.

Just as I refused to let a simple failure due to---let's just call it--- "severe personality incompatibility" ruin me when it comes to the idea of relationships, I can't let the association of the beginning of that failure ruin what is supposed to be a lighthearted and fun holiday. So I won't refer to St. Patrick's Day as "the day I started THAT relationship" or whatever, because that gives too much power where it is undeserved. I won't allow that. It's just a day to wear green, have a wee nip or three and keep yer eye out fer leprechauns.

Well, normally that's all it'd be. Except the world is also very different than it was this time last year.

Since this COVID-19 "Corona-Virus" thing started up, people here have lost their minds.  You have idiots hoarding toilet paper and hand sanitizer left and right, and in some cases completely ransacking stores of products, leaving nothing on the shelves for the folks who rely on specific means or windows of time to get to the store for their shopping. You have deranged people stockpiling their guns and ammunition just itching for martial law to kick in so they can somehow rationalize the murder of other Americans and finally get to put their big scary compensatory murder-toys to use. Luckily, if you know what you're looking for, those sociopaths are easily spotted by certain tattoos and stickers on their trucks, and you know to keep an eye on them should things get desperate. Although, to be honest, most of them probably put themselves at unnecessary risk whilst doing a hoarding run, so their ranks will thin out one way or another on their own, either by ignoring precautionary warnings about the sickness, or by seeing other overly-armed crazies as competition, and they'll rightfully take each other out instead of harming normal, decent people.

A year ago I was more worried about what to wear on a first date, whereas today, I'm worried about people disobeying recommendations about how to keep the virus from spreading, and what effects that the shutdowns and quarantines will have on the economy (which we are learning WASN'T as "strong" or "booming" as a certain demographic of disciples of the current administration were still so fervently insisting just a couple weeks ago).

This time last year my grandma was still around, my mom hadn't yet had to be admitted into the hospital for double-pneumonia, and I was still working out the details of that final stretch of my divorce proceedings. Today, my grandma is gone, mom is thankfully doing better (although I still get concerned because I know her immune system isn't what it once was) and I'm awaiting the orders to work from home until the viral threats have subsided.

The kid is out of school at least through the end of the month, my spring break getaway will be rescheduled, and I'm just thankful to have a job and my overall health.

So stay safe out there, people. If you're gonna' drink, do it at home by yourself or via a Skype party or something, wash your damned hands and let's hope the powers that be learn something from all of this.