Notes from the Start of a Pandemic

Ralph Nader has no sense of direction; and I never played backgammon with Lucille Ball

I’ve always Loved Lucy. Backgammon was her favorite pastime. Stock photo.

“The Rona”, as comedian Dave Chappelle calls it, has kept us in its steely vise since mid-March. We had no idea back then how serious the situation would become; in fact, I spent a good deal of March and April worrying, but also at times making light of the situation we all faced. When things started to look serious, and then dire, I needed to do some venting. Just watching cable news wasn’t doing it for me.

I started keeping a Covid Journal, of sorts. Not much to marvel at, but I’ve learned a lot about the crisis, and about myself, looking back nine months (my first online entry was March 18) at my state-of-mind at that time. I was still making jokes about quarantine and, for sure, blaming those in charge for the predicament in which we found ourselves. And, when necessary, I avoided the obvious, hoping that things would improve.

Using the gift of hindsight, I’ve taken a look at some of my early opinions, and have expanded on them, in an effort to add some levity to the bizarre circumstances that not only led to my extended time at home, but also the routine now of wearing masks, arming ourselves with hand sanitizer, and hanging out in my daughter’s backyard for most gatherings (her front…