Finding Our Way Back

Ten days ago Alabama moved into the “Safer at Home” mode which meant restaurants could open their dining rooms with the appropriate social distancing and other precautions. Very, very, very s l o w l y things are opening up. You have to do a lot of checking before going out. Just because they can be open doesn’t mean they are.

Last Friday we decided to act as if things were almost normal, although we were prepared to be disappointed, but we had to get out and, as my sweet father-in-law would say “blow the stink off”. We went to Office Depot, which has never closed,and Hobby Lobby, which just reopened. And we drove around town checking to see what was and was not open.

Then we went to lunch in a sit down restaurant where we were served delicious food on real plates! The Olive Garden was doing a great job. Tables with signs saying “Social distancing is temporary, Family is forever, We are family” blocked the social distancing tables. Staff wore masks and gloves. They weren’t very busy. In our dining room there was only a mom with a six year old enjoying the escape.

We were almost giddy. It felt like we were doing something illicit, like someone was going to come over to stop us from enjoying our meal. It only added to the excitement of the adventure.

Then we found our brand of toilet paper in the grocery store AFTER NOON! Could the worm be turning?

The only indication things were post virus was that there weren’t many people out and they were masked. My husband has abandoned his mask for a red bandana. He says it makes him look less like a scared old man and more like a desperado!

And yesterday my diamond engagement ring that had been sent off to get new prongs before all this started, came back incorrectly changed, and was returned to Kentucky for a redo, finally came back again – and it was right! A seven week adventure instead of ten days. I wondered if I would ever see it again.

And my humming birds have found their way back!

My nursing doctorate sister, Lisa, warned me that we really shouldn’t go out yet just because we can. We should wait at least three more weeks. Instead we’re following her original advice and not touching our faces, eyes, and mouths when out and about and carrying our handy spray bottle of alcohol to use when we do have to touch something outside of our house!

We will never find our way back if we don’t start down the path to normal. If Dorothy hadn’t started down the Yellow Brick Road, she never would have gotten to Oz. If she hadn’t found Oz, she wouldn’t have gotten back home. Back to normal.