or contagion. Its almost the same except the death rate is 25% in that movie. I watched it last night. Pretty wild that it basically mirrors what is going on to a tee. It was put out 9 years ago.

I cant believe they are still allowed to be working. A home upgrade seems even less essential than an industrial plant upgrade(which is what I do) and that has been called off where I live. Hard to do alot of that stuff while staying 6 feet away from people. Just another part of the problem. I would like to see us tighten this stuff up and not be so lax on it. It would be over sooner from what I hear. I think I would just have told them to come back when this is over. I would not even let my father in law inside. I met him in the driveway. Tough situation though. Like they say, money and material things seem to trump health even during the worse deadly pandemic we have ever seen. Yet you clean the bank canister. No offense intended(I'm not blaming you, just thinking out loud in general), it all just seems a tad confusing. I did not wipe or worry about the canister(i did have gloves though) but no way would let some one in. Who knows. Best of luck though and I hope you and all them stay healthy.

Fear and worry are thieves. They steal the gift that is the present. In the present, I am sober. In the present, my love ones are no longer in last place.

The caterpillar was sure the world was ending. His world was becoming chaotic with changes that he couldn't comprehend. Despite his fears and worries, all that happened was he turned into a butterfly.

There are many things that I can't comprehend, but the longer I am sober, the more is being revealed.

I drank alcohol in order to feel better. I quit in order to be better. It is happening, slowly but surely. What more do I need to know? When I let go of my need for answers. The answers come.

If I had all the answers. The game would be over. I am not ready for that yet. Too many intricacies to the labyrinth of life still to be revealed.

I want to look at life with the eyes of a child, filled with awe and wonder.

Being better will continue to happen. It dont take long. Just keep at it.

I appreciate this. Couldn't agree more about fear and worry. Grief and suffering are different beasts however. In the end, sober clarity and presence are the strongest weapons we can bring to bear.

I also find it very odd that home renovation workers are made to be active in this situation. I would seriously question the integrity (and more) of a person who hired and still allows them...

I have just seen good news for me in an email: the hospital where I work will start doing routine COVID testing of previously or currently symptomatic employees Tuesday - you don't have to be of a certain age, with any health conditions or very sick - this will apparently be offered to everyone who works there. Part of the reason is to obtain more plasma from people who had the virus and developed antibodies and use it in clinical trials to treat patients. They say if you still have symptoms, they will do a swab test for the virus and if not anymore, a blood antibody test. I'm so glad, this is exactly what I wanted, so much better also in a sense that they do the testing for this purpose and going with mild symptoms is not discouraged as taking tests away from seriously ill people, but to potentially help them. I really hope more and more medical facilities will start doing this now.

On the positivity/negativity topic - I really believe it is a personality thing to a large extent and no attitude is deficient or means that someone cannot feel and experience things deeply. A lot of it is also about how we externalize what we feel inside, what everyone's preference is for that. Some people automatically focus more on the dark side and like to connect with others via difficult experiences, others are naturally optimistic and expressing that makes them feel valuable members of a community, and everything in between. There are people who like to dive deeply into their feelings, others less so and prefer to focus on practical aspects of challenges. We all also have better and worse moments. I think it all has value and I am personally enjoying following this thread and posting so far - "enjoying" meaning it's useful, informative, enriching, and I think supportive and overall quite realistic as well.

keep us posted on test results. I am curious.

Oh, that's really good news about the antibodies testing, and about the testing of more people in general.

I'm in Washington and we've done close to 100,000 tests, I don't know that there is much more lab capacity to be honest....and I know that the sick are the prioritized test cases of course, but they are also doing somewhat more randomized testing, which is good. The numbers are so badly skewed right now. We're somewhere around 12-13% positive test results.


As far as the, "How people are wired to react," I think we are all wired for the full range of emotions and they are going to ebb and flow in all of us. A few days ago August left the thread because it was too much for her, today she's back being bubbly. I suspect we all will cycle through the grief process in random fashion over and over again.


My big point here is, "Meet people where they are."

That's what God does. He just listens. He Listens Until. I really bristle against all the codie crap that comes out whenever anyone has any kind of negative emotion. We were given negative emotions as well as positive. Grief is real, this is real. Trying to squash any humanity that comes out makes me really mad. Let people feel how they feel. They'll be back up - most of them. It's a cycle, like all of the Universe - but it's not on my timeline. If they don't become a rainbow unicorn kitten on your timeline, well - that's your problem. ("Your" meaning your in the general sense.)

I believe love calls us to endure others' pain. To be kind and patient and understanding if and when someone is struggling. To not invalidate their very real human suffering. This isn't a mindset, or a personality thing. It's a human tragedy, and it's affecting us all.

I don't yet know the full gravity of my situation but this very well could end with my losing my home in the next few months. I've lived here 28 years. That's not okay.

Great post Aellyce, and nez, I love "fear and worry are thieves" So true. For me, fear might also actually be control - which like I said somewhere around here earlier, there is obviously a lot we can't control, even more than usual. So redirecting it to what I can control - or as AA says, we aren't in the outcome business so I can only make choices for my actions- is a good note to self.

https://leunig.com.au/works/recent-cartoons

I'm trying my hardest to be positive, but feel like a ********, powerless to help.

Stay strong America. Keep practicing all of the strategies designed to bring this thing to its knees. They work.

I hope you like Leunig and trust you don't read him as impervious to the gravity.

No, it’s not ok at all


(((((((((((bim))))))))))

No, it's not Hawkeye. Have I been misread?

Hawkeye was responding to it's not OK if bim loses her house darling....Leunig is fantastic....as are you sweet Steely. :hug: s xx ❤️

And I am also in the it's not ok if bim loses her house camp. This stuff is devastating. :hug: s

The cartoon was stupid and insensitive and I regret posting it.

I felt helpless.

No it isn't.....it is sweet. Meant to help. I adore Leunig. He is a legend in Aussieland. :) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Oh thank you Venus. I freaked out after I posted Leunig. Who am I to say anything sitting here in stupid Australia while you are bearing this weight on the ground.

Edit: Australia's not stupid. I'm feeling survivor guilt, I think. Helpless.

Thanks Venus.

nez - your post is so beautiful. Tears in my eyes.

Honey....I am in America, as you know. And I am OK. Granted I am in Ohio and the midwest is a bit different because we are inland....but I am OK. Completely OK. Unless you count the fact that I banished my husband upstairs earlier because if I didn't get some time with no humans I was going to kill someone.... ;).

There is a lot of scary stuff out there right now, but also a lot of people obeying the rules (staying home) and staying safe.

I watched neighbours riding bikes down our street today, all 6 feet apart. xx :hug: s
The dog next door still gives me huge huge cuddles....they have a very long leash.
I bought my neighbours bagels and hygienically got cream cheese to them.
We are OK. We are adjusting until this is over. :hug: s xx

Steely just pray for us ...I'm not going to click on the cartoon now that you feel bad about it :lol: I'm glad things are going better down there.

Thanks Hawk and Venus. I may be fine, it's just scary. I may also fall down the concrete stairwell and make it a moot point, since I refuse to touch the handrail and I'm on the third floor!

I so understand dear bim.....latex or non latex gloves? Maybe they are impossible to get now. I will find some for you if you want me too. xxxxx

But yes....I hear you.... :hug: s
And I felt so awful earlier after you posted that: you made me see the other side of this fear. I mean I knew it already, but not with regards to someone I know and care about. xxxxx