Texas has "opened the economy" by allowing shops and restaurants to be open at 25% capacity. Shops and restaurants are practically empty--big malls with 12 people wandering about, outside dining with two people sitting at far apart tables, no stampedes to buy, buy, buy. It seems people are smarter than we give them credit for. Personally, I am rather proud of all those folks who are staying home.
Actually, there are times, (85% of the time) - When I wish that the lockdown never comes to an end! Driving on the roads is so pleasurable now. Sane roads which otherwise would always be jam-packed even after midnight. No fights over parking space either. In fact, there is now more free parking available then ever before. Petrol and Diesel, (as well as jet fuel), are at an all time low. And the price is going to fall even further. No need to rush anywhere, no fighting the clock, no rat race. Air quality is better then it ever was in decades, I haven't seen sky this blue since I was a toddler. Naked eye stargazing is also possible in the city. Because there is no pollution, plants, trees, animals, birds, and probably fish as well are also enjoying every moment of this. So yes, 85 to 90% of the time - I too am wishing that the lockdown never ever ends! Education classes for kids and elder students are going just as well after shifting online. Same with commerce - So let the lockdown continue forever, (I mean it I swear, not being sarcastic at all)!
Looking on the other side of this....there are more and more people without jobs meaning no money for food, to pay rent or the mortgage, make car payments or even bus fare to get to another job if they can find one, take a sick child to the doctor. They didn't get sent home to use up vacation time, they got fired and there is a good chance that they will not get a 'please come back to work' call from their former employer...possibly because their former employer had go out of business since customers can not come to the store for shopping as usual. Many people do not have internet access so shopping on line is not available to them. Please remember that most of the people out of work now are not rich, they do not have money in the bank for emergencies, they do not have a savings account to fall back on, they live from paycheck to paycheck. Being let go from a job means they lost any medical insurance coverage their former employer might have provided for them and they could not afford to convert it to a private policy because....they no longer have a job and can not afford the premiums on their own. The shops, restaurants, malls are almost empty because without a job many people have no money to spend on non-essential things.
This explains why there is a sudden rise in home burglaries, (globally)... Yesterday 2 cops in my city died of COVID-19 - While over 700 others in the police force are infected. Many doctors and nurses too are out of action now. This is a small taste of what a collapse of society in the initial start feels like... Even if anyone has a big fat bank account. It will be of no use to anyone, when there would be no fuel at the petrol pumps, (gasoline stations). Or any power in the national electricity grid. Which is why I invested in renewable energy, (installed solar panels on my roof by myself). I even made and stored lots of bio-diesel also, anybody remember? https://www.gardenstew.com/threads/what-cotton-can-create.25730/ And I had been trying my absolute level best at freely sharing knowledge and technological know-how with everyone, (free of cost). As I knew that such a day would arrive. It's now been almost 25 years since I started preparing, (when I was in my early teens). But you know what guys? Everytime I selflessly started to share this knowledge - All I got was ridicule and laughter, (everybody said, look at this crazy doomsday prepper, getting ready for a day which will never ever arrive)... I could have easily kept all this know-how to myself. Or could have profited from it also, (if I had sold the idea instead of sharing it for free) - But nobody was interested in listening. It really wouldn't have had any effect on me, because I had already achieved it many years ago. I only wanted to wake everyone else up from believing in this falsehood. That what you think of as security right now, is actually nothing but an illusion. Real peace of mind and security comes only when you know that you are prepared, and so can survive anything. But again, nobody listened... They instead wanted to play online games, or cheat on their spouses via social media, (or buy illegal recreational drugs online) - Heck, they got so involved in this nonsense, that they didn't even have enough energy left in them to plant a single seed and watch it grow. So why should I now feel sorry for anyone? I say again, I always shared this knowledge for free, (never charged a single penny). And this stuff isn't even costly, anybody can do it. Let it take 5 years for your own infrastructure to get established - This isn't a race... But afterwards, you yourself will attain self sustainability, (without burning a hole in your pocket). Was that better? Or are they having fun now, without any job, worrying about rent, with no medical care, and contemplating theft and robbery - As they don't have a clue how to get food on their table tomorrow... I apologise if what I wrote above has hurt anyone's sentiments. But I think life shouldn't be taken for granted... We owe it to ourselves, and to the future generations - To start showing responsibility for each and every action we take. Just like people say that ignorance of law is no excuse. So too should being irresponsible about our own future must now be declared a crime. As nature needs to be respected 24/7. Anyone who is still too arrogant to grasp this, at the very least now deserves a tight slap across the face!
It hurt no ones feelings as far as I can see ! I think everyone needs to know how to feed and take care of themselves ! Young people are just now getting involved in it ! Would type more but had surgery yesterday on my wrist ! tripped over a dog and snapped both bones ! but got it repaired just sore now and in a heavy cast of some sort! cant see it through the wrapping !!
Really sorry about your mishap. Please rest. And by the way, if you are using a smartphone, then install Google keyboard app - And let it convert your speech directly into text via the microphone, (in real time). Anyway, I am at least very happy to learn that people of Texas are not only being smart, but are proving themselves to be highly responsible too, (I think they always were, but nobody was paying attention).
Our economy is starting to open up... but wow oh wow. these rules can't possibly be being calculated correctly (25% of fire marshal set capacity)... one store ( a Rite aid and we all know these aren't large stores) has a limit of 78 people and Lowes has a limit of 78. that is a stretch for me to believe and the grocery store my daughter works at... 700. now these numbers make no sense. All the grocery stores and big box home fix it stores are filled to capacity daily. I actually haven't been to any of these stores since the lockdown except under dire necessity. such as today... a prescription for my mother in law.
True... But this pandemic too is something no government was ready for. I mean, just look at the scale of it - It's literally global!!! Such a thing didn't exist in anyone's living memory... In the past, we here at GardenStew would often get concerned for a member, who's area was experiencing a natural disaster, (like flood, hurricane, or earthquake) - But the majority of us weren't effected. However today, not a single one of us can say that their lives aren't altered a little by this. Governments can only do so much. Beyond that, the responsibility falls on us...
it will all return to normal soon. and that will probably be sooner in places that was hit harder because they will reach herd immunity much faster.
