Sign of the times

Yesterday, when I wandered over to my favorite coffee shop for brunch to go, I saw a sign in the window of a local salon. Through the window I could see price tags on the salon chairs, mirrors and display cases. The doors were locked tight, of course, but there was a number displayed to make an appointment to see the salon fixtures.

I felt a pang. I don't get my hair cut there, but I've gone to them in the past for pedicures and massages. They've been in this neighborhood since the mid-1980s.

Neither their website nor their Facebook page say they're going out of business, so maybe they're using this time of enforced closure to remodel. They were going to have a rough go of it this month, anyway, since the main drag is torn up; the long-planned sewer upgrade is going on as planned and, under normal circumstances, would have played havoc with foot traffic and parking.

I hope they reopen. I know how hard this pandemic is for mom-and-pop businesses like this one.

And once again, I feel fortunate that I will have a check direct deposited on the 30th.

One Gal's Truth Bomb

'Truth bomb" is a much-loved phrase among a subset of Americans, employed when they're about to say something they feel isn't PC. As in, "Here's a truth bomb: You've given up your rights for a virus that's not even a threat."

Many insist they're Christians, yet you never hear them mention this: as of today, more than 60,000 of their fellow citizens are dead from this virus. More than one million have been stricken by it.

Instead they take to their keyboards to complain. "I'm bored!" "I can't find my favorite cut of beef at the store." "I have to wear a mask!" "My doctor postponed my elective surgery!" Me, me, me.

You never read prayers for those who have a cough and fever and are terrified they may have the virus, or compassion for those who have lost loved ones but can't hold a funeral service to say goodbye. 

Where's the sympathy for pregnant women who have to deliver during a pandemic? Or concern for the poor who can't shelter at home because they are homeless?

These proselytizers, who have spent decades working to repeal every woman's right to choose, are now suddenly upset because their personal comforts are impeded for a few months for the greater good.

Here's a "truth bomb:" Maybe God would smile upon them more warmly if they cared as much about their fellow Americans as they do about the unborn. Or their own comfort.

Look at these figures. More American citizens have died from Covid19 than were killed in the Vietnam war. 

I am grateful right now. Thankful that I have a job, that I am healthy, that my governor is looking out for our safety. I wish I was able to do more for first responders and the homeless right now. And I'm grateful that God knows this about me, and that I'm on the right side of my faith and of my nation's history.

I know this makes me what "truth bombers" like to call "a sheeple." I'm good with that. I'd rather bleat than be selfish and bitter.

PS Here's a link to homeless shelters all across the country.

Click here

And the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation is working with local restaurants to provide hot meals for essential health care staff. That not only feeds the hospital workers, it helps independently owned restaurants stay afloat.

Click here

Home-made masks are most welcome, too! Schools, oncology centers, and long-term care facilities can use help.

Click here