The Worries That Keep the Widder Curry Up at Night

‘Who Would Have Thought …’

By Judi Curry

Ever since my husband became ill with lung cancer and had difficulty talking, I have never slept well at night. (I can take delightful naps during the day – but then I don’t sleep at night!)  Because it was difficult for him to talk, or even get out of bed,  he would turn on the light when he needed help and it got to the point that even a small flashlight would wake me up.

Now, ten years later I am still having difficulty sleeping but added to the sensor lights going on because the skunks, squirrels, raccoons and other animals think that my home is a thoroughfare, I am worried about the outcomes of the COVID-19.

I am not necessarily worried about myself in spite of being in the age group that is – or used to be – the most vulnerable, but I am worried about my children, one that works for Kaiser and must go into the hospital every day and one that works for the Military and also needs to go in, but not every day.

But I also worry about the idiots that are walking along Sunset Cliffs, holding hands; drinking; about as close as the letters are in this article.  It is almost a game with them; they come down to the Cliffs and look to see if there are any police nearby.  If everything is clear, they park in the lots or across the street and walk along the waterfront.

Yesterday there were hordes of people actually going down the cliffs onto the beaches below.  Some people even took their bikes down the human-made trails.  When the police arrived, as they do every day, everyone is put at risk; the officers that have to get the people to disperse; the people that stand around and watch the circus being performed in front of them; the people that have to come up the eroding Cliffs because they just can’t follow directions, etc.

Every one of these people are putting others at risk, and still, every single day they are there. I am not saying that they are the same people, although there are so many of them I would wager that many of them are.

And why are they coming to this area when they don’t live anywhere near here?  This is evidenced by the number of cars that are parked along the Cliffs and the side streets.  I have to confess that I sometimes walk my dog – always on the sidewalk side – not the Cliffs side – but I LIVE HERE.  This is where I always have walked my dog.  I do not think it would be right for me to drive to another neighborhood and walk my dog there.  Just like it isn’t right for these people to drive here to spread the virus among the residents – and the other people that are also disobeying the rules.  Maybe they do not have the virus.  But then again, maybe they do.

So instead of sleeping I worry.

I seem to be able to come up with many “what if’s”.  For example, here’s a “what if” that I have yet to find an answer to that really concerns me.  It has been said that animals, dogs particularly, do not get the COVID-19 virus.  But….”What if” someone comes up to the dog and pets him – with or without your permission – and that person has the virus still in the contagion period.  And then I go and pet my dog.  It is unfathomable to me that the virus is not on the dog’s fur, and that I will get the virus in spite of him not getting it.  If it is so contagious that they are now saying that 6 feet apart is not enough to guarantee you not getting it, then it seems to me that the contagion is right there on the dog’s fur.

And you know what else is unfathomable to me?  That gun stores have been designated as “essential” and they remain open while my dentist has to remain closed.  Gun stores are essential?  Is everyone going to run out and shoot a deer for dinner?  What in the hell makes them “essential?”  To shoot a neighbor?

Last night, or early this morning, I was thinking about the possibility of a neighbor buying a gun and shooting me.  (Lord knows after some of the comments I have received from my postings it is a possibility….)  I worried that my kids wouldn’t be able to find my will, my funeral arrangements, etc.  Today I spent hours rearranging my files so that if they needed the information it was available to them.

These are the things that keep me up at night.  Oh yeah, by the way – did you see the beautiful ships that came into San Diego in the past few days? You know, the ones that had over 2500 passengers on them?

Sleep well.