A friend told me yesterday morning that he was torn between terror for his family and himself, moments of empowerment and hope, and grim fatalism that might drive him to “go lick doorknobs and just get this shit over with.” I’m somewhat of a bandaid ripper myself so that last sentiment has crossed my mind. Call it grim resignation. Nobody really knows the outcome. There was widespread talk early on that it was only really dangerous for the elderly and/or immuno-compromised. Then younger people started to snuff it, if in smaller numbers, and all bets were off. There was one story of a man in his thirties who tested positive and fell fatally ill, but it was then discovered he had undiagnosed leukemia. That’s a hell of a way to find out you have cancer, and granted it is an apocryphal story, but it still upped my concern just a bit.

The devils that you know…

That said, there is very little new to report at this moment. Trump’s presser yesterday spoke of a quinine-antibiotic cocktail that could be very useful in treatment, but it isn’t a preventative nor a cure. There were no updates on a vaccine yesterday. With every other virus I’ve ever had I was told antibiotics were useless so it was best to go home, rest, and let my immune system work it out. That’s where the fear is for most people. None of us really know how good our immune systems are until they’re tested and it’s always trial by fire.

I had to take a trip out yesterday to get more dog food. While my neighborhood was fairly empty it was business as usual in Park Slope. Millenials (mostly) were out in groups with pets and children in strollers, clustered in groups with $5 coffee and chitchat. I’m told groups like that will be broken up after 8pm tonight when the widescale lockdown goes into effect. I would hope people take it more seriously. They were out yesterday like it was a moral imperative to get the last coffee klaatch in before tonight.

There were some that swung a wide berth around anyone coming in the opposite direction. The pet food store was very small and narrow. I was paying for a sack of kibble and a very nervous man demanded very angrily that I move so he could get in. I suggested that if he were that nervous he should wait outside as it would only be 30 more seconds. He pushed past me roughly and while I normally would have thumped him I just let it go. Why contribute to the misery of being him?

Still early days.

One of the good highlights in the last several days has been DJ D-Nice spinning records for “Club Quarantine” from his own home. It’s been an upbeat event with classic r&b and hiphop that drew over 100,000 viewers! It’s on Instagram live in the afternoons at @dnice if it continues. It was a godsend for many people this weekend. Well done, buddy. Well done!

A note of interest: I’m still not used to people I run into on the street talking about something deeper than idle banter about the weather. Also, I was not displeased that the bochinchera down the block didn’t stop to talk. She just adjusted her surgical mask and kept it moving.

Thankful for the small blessings…