The following article was written for the latest edition of SCOOP. An online newsletter for members of the Press Club of Southwest Florida. It is being reprinted here with the permission of the author. Enjoy [Do you have a story to tell? EMail News]
There were whispers and rumors that an enemy was on the prowl and was coming our way.
We and the World could be under attack.
Girl Scouts have a motto …….be Prepared! SO
I gathered all my tools: Lysol, gloves, hand sanitizers, all the wipes in the house, disinfectant spray and don’t forget the TP.
How many rolls will we need? Two people for at least 3 months-translates into at least a half a semi load. Off to the store.
The shelves are empty, who can I contact, I know Amazon .com.
Surely, they have rolls and rolls. I called and placed an order. Delivery will be between April 1 and June 1. This will not work. Need to move towards plan B.
Let the hunt begin and so by moonlight, we backed our SUV out slowly and headed for every place we could think of to buy TP. None could be found. We gathered all paper we could find in the stores, napkins, tissues and even pulled together all the magazines in the house, we were in a crisis here and it demanded extreme actions. Then we are told to shelter in place.
My next problem was homeschooling my 79-year-old: the mantra went on day after day, wash your hands, don’t put packages on the counters or table, sit on the floor in the foyer. WASH YOUR HANDS, don’t rub your eyes, Wash your hands, Wear your mask, Use hand sanitizer when you get back in the car, wipe the excess on the steering wheel. DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE.
Spraying everything with Lysol or Hydrogen Peroxide.
Felt strange walking into the bank asking for cash. It has been a very strange time.
I hope all our friends at Southwest Florida Press Club are well. Hope to see you soon. Hope I can recognize you with your masks on.
On a serious note: This has been a true tragedy with the loss of life in Florida, in our country and throughout the world. When we finally come back together, a moment of silence would be a small gesture of reminder to all who have passed and a tribute to all on the front lines fighting to save lives.
Ce Ce Zenti has been a member of the Press Club of SW Florida for several years.
