If You Still Don’t Get It — I Don’t Get It
The following appeared in the print version of the April 2 Arizona Republic:
There is not much more Gov. Ducey can do than a stay-at-home order. His order matches 30 other states (and Washington DC). Any other more extreme designation needs to come from New York or another place in worse shape than Arizona.
However, where Gov. Ducey fell short in his order was the list of essential services. The list is long — and golf and barbershops (salons) jump out as questionable. The conclusion: In my opinion, right now, Arizona, you have all the information you are going to get before things turn worse. Gov. Ducey orders or not, everyone needs to make their decisions, and respect the others around them, and treat this virus very seriously.
Since last summer, I have had a chance to write short opinion pieces in the local newspaper. The Arizona Republic is not exactly your local shopper, so I have considered it a compliment each time my writing has appeared in their paper. I am not the only one. There are many other writers like me in this forum vying to get noticed in the “pre-publication” area, which is a group page on Facebook.
The last topic to opine on was the decision this week by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey to declare a Stay-at-Home order. The Arizona order has a long list of essential services that many will argue should be known as “non-essential.” The above-mentioned short article that I write mentions salons and golf courses as two examples. Which, by the way, the salon business was shut down by Gov. Ducey shortly after the article was published online. I’d like to think my writing had something to do with that decision, but, um, very, very doubtful.
The stay-at-home order this week had no impact on my life. I have been staying at home. After 14 days of extreme sheltering, this week, I finally ventured into the world for a food takeout order and an appointment for an auto glass repair.
The restaurant from where we ordered the takeout has seemed to thrive, or at least stay afloat in these tough times. As I get close, I notice a sign — Door #1 for cashier and Door #2 for pick up. I move to Door #1. As the cashier looks for my order and initially has trouble finding it, she comments that they are getting an order every minute through their online system. I am less than six feet away from her as we figure out where my order is. She finds it, she takes my card and is wearing disposable gloves, that have been touching multiple surfaces. I go to Door #2 and stay pretty far away from the young lady that puts my order on the table and I grab it and go.
My car appointment will have two steps. Drop car off. Pick car up. Step one has me talking to the receptionist from over six feet away after I hand her a print out with my order number and other information, so we do not talk long.
Step two is a little more eventful. It is close to closing, and when I walk in, there are about five employees, “hanging out.” After I establish who I am, one of the Techs walks towards me. I move back. Apparently, the look on my face was enough to encourage him to stop. We discuss the fix from more than six feet away.
I then come home to a Facebook page full of comments from people “like me” who are baffled. They remark how Metro Phoenix does not get it. It seems people in the Metro area are treating everything as business as usual. It is like, “yes, I practice social distancing, except in this situation, or this situation, or this one.” Two pictures are posted by someone trying to be funny. It shows empty highways in Los Angeles and a traffic jam in Phoenix. The caption reads something like “The stay at home order in LA compared to Phoenix.”
Some Facebook posts even move to a denial from some writers whom state a concern about the economy. A person responds with: Economies can recover; dead people cannot.
My published phrase was not as jarring, but it is where I stand:
In my opinion, right now, Arizona, you have all the information you are going to get before things turn worse. Gov. Ducey orders or not, everyone needs to make their decisions, and respect the others around them, and treat this virus very seriously.
If you still don’t get it, I don’t get it.
