Good Friday – Bad Week. Day 24

It’s hard to celebrate Easter weekend while every day blends into the next. COVID put a personal face to the pandemic this week. Given the extraordinarily high infection rate in NY, it was inevitable. I know five people who are currently fighting this and two who have recovered. Viewed in the abstract, an inconvenience to your everyday life. It’s there, but over there. Not me. Then the dreaded news comes to you. My cousin’s husband Patrick, passed away Wednesday, after a little over a week on a ventilator. It started with a wheeze and went rapidly downhill from there. When I heard he was in the hospital, I thought about him every day.  I rooted for him to fight his way out of there. Pat was a funny guy. A stand-up guy. He was good to me. He leaves behind a devastated wife in Reg and two boys.

“May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face:

The rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again…”

In the dark I try to find the light. As the old cliché goes, hope springs eternal and NYC’s wonderful oddities are sprouting up, much like the spring tulips around the city. Never let a pandemic stop the Naked Cowboy from strumming his guitar. He didn’t even bother with a hat for tips since there was no one to give him any. In fairness he did pose for my picture but since I was out on a run, I didn’t have any cash on me. Catch you next time buddy.

Nothing like catching rays on a warm day. I had to explain why the “Nipple woman” didn’t have her top on to my five-year-old. “She’s stocking up on vitamin D”.  “Nipple woman” made numerous guest appearances around the park during the week.

As the weather heats up, cabin fever reaches new peaks and the news reports we have reached our apex, I’m fearful more and more people will take this as their cue to hit the parks, streets and throw away all our hard-won results from social distancing. As a runner, I’ve had to go to navigate unique runs to avoid being near other runners or people out for a walk. There’s still a surprising number of people who don’t appear to understand how this thing travels and infects.

Add in those remaining states that have yet to issue stay at home orders. We face a game of Whack-a-Mo across the summer as people travel from one infected area to a recently infected area.  How hard is it to order every state shut down – one and done? I get it, everyone wants this to end. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. It will end. #flattenthecurve #shutstatesdown #LightatEndofTunnel