No matter how hard I want to surf this new wave of the pandemic, I feel it hasn’t bottomed out yet. October was not a good month for many reasons, but especially within my circle, bubble – whatever the limited environment I now live within – is called. A death in the family really puts perspective into the rest of this post. But enough said, see my previous post about Grief if you will.
More troubles in this sucking trough of October. My curling club closed down “temporarily” to comply with tighter “red zone” restrictions. I live in a border town to our larger national capital neighbour of Ottawa, which is also suffering pandemic numbers and lockdown measures, so Gatineau had to do them one better and shut down not just eat-in dining, but patio dining also. A petty annoyance compared to tragedies I’ve already suffered, but what can I say? Life is lived daily by the little things, and eating out is another of life’s little pleasures now denied.
I ordered – even received in time – a “Happy Halloween” t-shirt online. I insist on marking and enjoying the seasonal events as they occur, no matter how difficult this year is trying to make them, gosh darn it! And although clothing stores are still open, I have no zest for the mall these days. I did try in person at the bookstore, but felt somewhat lost and alone, unsure of how much handling I should do, trailed constantly by vigilant clerks who were understandably desperate to avoid fines for allowing any bad customer behaviour. Grocery and Liquor store outings to which I may walk are still the main outlets for spending my money. Although I did break down and pay full price for Stephen King’s “The Outsider”; the free or low-cost Bookbub deals on my e-reader were becoming tiresome. What’s a splurge on a master like King really cost me in the end? Life is lived daily by the little things, after all.
So ever the optimist, despite a terrible October, and with the dread of dreary November doldrums in sight, dare I hope? Dare I think this pandemic trough must eventually trend upward, a little maybe? Will the peak come in view next month? I’ve got a flu shot appointment. I’ve got a Stephen King book to read. I still have hopes that the curling club will reopen this season. My grandson is still in need of, as the government website allows in its bubble definitions, “informal caregiving”. Life is lived. Daily. As I write this, the first snowfall of the season is sleeting outside my window. What does it portend for the coming winter? See you next month!
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Stevie Szabad, Author 