Evelyn and I still seem to get along on most days during these trying times. We try to reinforce each other and as hard as it can be, we try to look at the positive side of things.
The first reported case of COVID -19 in New Mexico was on March 11, 2020. By June 6th I started marking the numbers of COVID-19 cases on each calendar date to see the progression or perhaps the end to the rising numbers. We were at 166 then, we are 775 now along with 28 related deaths.
The pandemic was and is still the main news topic as people are tiring of the social distancing, wearing face masks, and observing people that do not wear masks in stores requiring their use. Hands are chaffing from constant washing and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. We talk of this often and coach each other... “We’ll be fme, we just need to keep doing our part; we remind each other.”
We tire easily on the very few quick trips we do to Albuquerque to see the kids and granddaughters. It takes effort. Courteous drivers are few and far between. I’m sure they too are tired of all this. Road repairs and accidents causing traffic stoppages are mind boggling. Evelyn assures me, `We’ll be fme.”
Then the pandemic of election mudslinging and politicians trying to win by almost all means. And some things said are mean. Hourly, advertisement after advertisement after advertisement; promises that things will be better during their watch. Vote for me, me, me, all day long! It’s tiring, I’m sure you will agree. I hope when all is done, “We’ll be fme.”
In 1976 colored lights were used on news channels to illuminate the states won by U.S. presidential candidates on a U.S. map during election return results were assigned: red for [Jimmy] Carter and blue for [Gerald] Ford. The colors remained as party-associated colors since then.
The red wave, the blue wave ... the blue wall returns, I hear politicians chanting their party will make things better. Both sides say that. Signs and posters and clenched fists raised in protest, and riots and lootings, I see all this and you probably see these things too. I hope when things settle down, “We’ll be fme.”
Evelyn, Duke Marie, and I took a breather weekend trip a while ago, it may make things better I thought. We will still wore masks, used hand sanitizer and social distanced. During the second day we broke down and it kind of ruined our weekend. Evelyn assured me let us get the parts and fix the truck and, “We’ll be fme.”
There are days that I really wonder about all this pandemic, political mess, and the unrest in America. I asked Evelyn to go for a ride yesterday to get away from the TV, the phone, and projects I seem to invent to occupy our time. We cruised past the local cemetery, past our City Hall, the Mining Museum and past the Veteran Memorial. At each location stood a flagpole with our United States of America flag gently lofting in the fall breeze. Red, white and blue together in harmony; in all its’ glory. I smiled when I saw it for the third time in about three miles... I then pointed to it and told Evelyn: “That reassures me:”
“We’ll be fine!”