Admittedly it can be difficult to find reasons for optimism these days. If, as Dear Leader has said, the fight against the coronavirus is a war, then we are getting our asses kicked. Of course it doesn't help that the commander in chief has completely surrendered the battlefield. Cases and deaths are on the rise, but Trump has already declared victory and moved on to the real problem facing America, defending memorials to treason and racism.
Against that backdrop my wife, elder son and I traveled from Connecticut to return him to his home in Cambridge. He had spent some of his accumulated vacation time to stay with us over the Fourth of July holiday. We have all tried to be diligent during the pandemic, wearing masks when going out, social distancing, only seeing other people we know have been careful. So we were hoping to make it from our home in the northwest corner of CT to Cambridge without stopping.
However we had left early in the morning. This meant everyone had their share of coffee and tea to help stay alert for the ride. So not stopping was never an option.
We pulled into the first rest stop we came to once we were on the Mass Turnpike. Our masks were at the ready, but we didn't know what to expect. Our son was more anxious. His roommate has some compromising issues so he has been especially careful.
We were pleasantly surprised at what we saw. There were some families seated outside at picnic tables who were eating and so obviously not wearing masks. But everyone else we saw, in the parking lot, in the rest stop, in the rest rooms, was wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.
Well, almost everyone. There was one exception. As we walked towards the entrance an older couple was leaving and heading to the parking lot. I'd say they were probably in their mid to late 70s. She was removing her mask and putting it away. He was not wearing one. However, he was wearing a red Trump 2020 hat. As we passed by my wife turned to our son and exclaimed loud enough for them to hear, "well that about says it all, doesn't it?"
Later on our way out of Cambridge we were waiting to cross a bridge as people walked or rode past on bicycles. As we looked at the mix of people we noticed a couple who were going through the crosswalk on their bicycles. They looked to be 80ish, riding their bikes wearing their helmets and yes, their masks. As my wife remarked, with all the nastiness and craziness going on now, she will choose to hold on to those images of the day. The near universal mask wearing at the rest stop and the cute elderly couple still out there riding their bicycles, masks and all.
And yes we were in Massachusetts. And yes we have friends who have been to Florida and North Carolina who have told us that in those states wearing masks is the exception not the rule. But for now we're holding on to the positive.
Against that backdrop my wife, elder son and I traveled from Connecticut to return him to his home in Cambridge. He had spent some of his accumulated vacation time to stay with us over the Fourth of July holiday. We have all tried to be diligent during the pandemic, wearing masks when going out, social distancing, only seeing other people we know have been careful. So we were hoping to make it from our home in the northwest corner of CT to Cambridge without stopping.
However we had left early in the morning. This meant everyone had their share of coffee and tea to help stay alert for the ride. So not stopping was never an option.
We pulled into the first rest stop we came to once we were on the Mass Turnpike. Our masks were at the ready, but we didn't know what to expect. Our son was more anxious. His roommate has some compromising issues so he has been especially careful.
We were pleasantly surprised at what we saw. There were some families seated outside at picnic tables who were eating and so obviously not wearing masks. But everyone else we saw, in the parking lot, in the rest stop, in the rest rooms, was wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.
Well, almost everyone. There was one exception. As we walked towards the entrance an older couple was leaving and heading to the parking lot. I'd say they were probably in their mid to late 70s. She was removing her mask and putting it away. He was not wearing one. However, he was wearing a red Trump 2020 hat. As we passed by my wife turned to our son and exclaimed loud enough for them to hear, "well that about says it all, doesn't it?"
Later on our way out of Cambridge we were waiting to cross a bridge as people walked or rode past on bicycles. As we looked at the mix of people we noticed a couple who were going through the crosswalk on their bicycles. They looked to be 80ish, riding their bikes wearing their helmets and yes, their masks. As my wife remarked, with all the nastiness and craziness going on now, she will choose to hold on to those images of the day. The near universal mask wearing at the rest stop and the cute elderly couple still out there riding their bicycles, masks and all.
And yes we were in Massachusetts. And yes we have friends who have been to Florida and North Carolina who have told us that in those states wearing masks is the exception not the rule. But for now we're holding on to the positive.
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