Well my dear Finders, I have no idea how many of you have left this portal open, but if you have I hope this message finds you and yours safe and well. I can’t recall when I last posted here, a place a humour and joy and general wackiness. The days of blissfully traipsing about France seem so long ago now. Those were the days before this coronavirus, and these are the days after. I suppose it’s not a stretch to say that it’s a new world.
Rusty and I are hunkered down, heeding the advice of our public health wizards like our lives depend on it because they do. With my chronic health issues and Neil’s medication that suppresses his immune system, we’re considered “vulnerable” people. Truth be told, this supposedly novel way of living has been my reality for some time now. Hand washing and disinfecting have long been enacted in my house, so nothing new on that front. As soon as flu season ramps up, I lock the doors and settle in for the winter. Sweatpants and Netflix, books and wine. Friend time is FaceTime. Add in my many years of medical training and experience and you’d be hard pressed to find someone more prepared for a pandemic such as this one. And yet.
The trouble with doctors and other healthcare providers is we know too much. We know how this kind of scenario will play out. I’ve known this was coming, every detail of it, probably since mid-February, then watched in horror and maddening frustration as the people in charge of the world just let it happen.
And now here we are right where I knew we would be. The ever rising case tally, those big red circles blooming over world maps like drops of blood. Folks panicking in grocery stores, fist fighting over toilet paper as if survival is somehow connected to how much you wipe your arse. World leaders fumbling and melting down, laying bare their ignorance and ineptitude, fiddling while the cities burn.
I don’t worry much for myself, even with my risk level I’m privileged beyond reason and resigned to whatever comes to me. My concern is bigger and broader. The jobless, the homeless, the indigent, the people trapped in homes where violence is rampant at the best of times. The countries under siege like China, Italy, America (Christ on a cracker), the economies, the cumulative effects and losses, just the world in general. I worry that the damage to every aspect of modern life is marching toward being irreparable. It’s enough to crack the hardest of heads and hearts open.
But somewhere underneath the angst is a little bubble of hope. Hope that good things may come out of this. That this may be the crisis that finally gets people to wash their godddamn hands properly. This new-fangled 30 second soapshow is how I’ve washed my hands since I started medical school. I worked for years in the ER of children’s hospitals, ground zero of all that is infectious, and managed to escape with only one serious throat infection. I’m still waiting for my medal. If you take nothing else from this whole debacle, know that the hand washing alone will make the world a better place.
Perhaps we’ll see a new trend toward a deeper respect for science and evidence, and recognition that we are all citizens of the globe. A trend toward demanding better from our leaders and from each other. Toward thinking of the greater good and placing equal value on all lives. Pandemics come and go and this one will be no different. It’ll leave its mark on every one of us but it’s entirely possible that somehow we’ll emerge on the other side of this, battered and weary, but changed for the better. Maybe truth and reason will rule the planet and women will suddenly be in charge of everything meaning when the next crisis hits my poor sister will be spared wandering the streets of London searching in vain for the last box of tampons in England (true story). You know full well if the ladies were at the helm there’d be a shortage of Viagra long before the period shelves were empty. Unicorns and rainbows. Puppies romping through fields of wildflowers. Maybe.
But until then we have no choice but to settle in. This is a marathon not a sprint. By now you all know what to do. Wash your hands. Stay at home. No travel under any circumstances. Listen to those with a string of letters after their names and not to those spouting nonsense. Do what you can for your neighbour. Don’t sweat the small stuff like serving ice cream for dinner or plopping your kids in front of a screen for hours on end. Just do what you need to do to get through.
Here’s to better days my friends. They are coming. Of that you can be very sure. Love to you all.
Well, I needed that today! Thanks so much Bobbi.
Good to see yer still out there.
Thank you for this.
I enjoy following you Twitter as well
Good to hear from you Bobbi. A dark, wet morning here in S Ont, ideal for staying inside. I think I’ll go back to bed.
Was there ever any doubt that we would keep our eyes open for your latest post, no matter where in the world you found yourself? Thank you for articulating so clearly how the ignorance, arrogance, and entitlement of a privileged few have worsened this health crisis. I share your dream that if more women were in charge of countries, this may not happen to this extent again. I smile when I see so many women in positions power, such as Ministers of Health, and know that at least in those jurisdictions, common sense may have a chance to prevail. We soldier on, and await the publication of your latest book.
Love reading your posts !! So true what you said about hand washing!! I have always preached that to my kids who are now adults. No doubt they roll their their eyes many times but not of late😉
Good to hear from you Bobbi. I am a retired ICU nurse here in Toronto. I can’t tell you how happy I am that I am not on the front lines right now. My husband and I are self isolating sadly because my 90 year old mum has tested positive. She is in a nursing home 5 minutes from my house. I visited every day and now I am so close but so helpless. She is becoming increasingly weak and while they will allow the end of life visits I have had to make the horrible decision I cannot see her. My husband has multiple medical issues and has a compromised immune system. The wine deliveries have been non stop. Stay Safe, Pat
Im so sorry to read this. My heart goes out to you.
Well there you are again, lighting up our life with your witty and intelligent words. Ah for the lazy days in Semur en Auxois. Seems such a long time ago. I can smell the bread, taste the wine, dream about Neil’s amazing cooking. Your book, inscribed by you, always is in our book case at eye level. I often take it out, look at Neil’s fabulous photographs and read about those days lived in such an amazing Mediaeval town. Those days are no longer but our memories are taken out now and again and re-lived.
May we continue to enjoy all those stories as we sit at home, waiting and hoping for this madness to end. Stay safe and well, both of you. Now I am going to wash my hands, AGAIN!!!!! love carol and dennis xx
Bobbi
At long (and happy) last and worth it.
This is the best post you’ve written; the most
informative and hopeful. May you both be well, endure, live long and prosper. Am planning on releasing a new book later this year – The Music of Women. Let’s hope all will be well by then.
Wishing you health and happiness
Vincent & Penny
Well said and the thought of most! Keep writing!
Nice to hear from you. I live in Italy now, not France anymore, but I’m in California with my family and fortunately working as a US tax preparer for expats who live abroad. I love what you say about women ruling, its our time, and I don’t mean the male bashing kind, we need to be partners with the healthy masculine, and not put each other down. Im hoping for a movement toward this direction but I dont see it yet….maybe I need to start one?! Dont even know how, but I will try to start a blog about it. Stay well and thanks again for your words.
So happy you have appeared in my in box again. We are happily isolating on the largest left coast island, washing our hands and when necessary keeping our distance as we hunt and gather necessities. Since we were retired, life isn’t much different that usual, except I miss my book club gals and ukulele lessons. Stay safe and keep blogging somewhere!
Oh Bobbi,
What a welcomed sight seeing your post during such trying times.
Take care and be safe
Eleanor
Hi Bobbi,
Arlene from Alberta here. So it takes an effing world wide pandemic to reach out to your Finders! I still love you, treasure my paper copy of your book and put your blog in first place forever.
I am well and my immediate and extended family is well. I pay close attention to the news and am playing it very safe. I guess this will be the historic disaster of our lifetime. I felt overly lucky to this point. (66 years old).
Wishing you and Neil the best of health throughout this challenge. 😍😍
Thanks Bobbi. Good to hear from you. Be well.
Thanks for this Bobbi….I’ve missed your insights on life in general and yours in particular, always shared with a twist of humour. Keep it coming girlfriend! Sending love and wishes for your and Rusty’s good health.
Thank you, thank you for being here with your words of wisdom. Yes! And I’m SO glad to see you back on the ‘net!
It was a lovely surprise to find an update from you in my inbox. Thank you for this. Be well, both you and rusty.
Dear Bobbi,
I was so pleased to find you in my inbox. I have enjoyed every one of your posts. Please keep writing. Your prose is comforting, especially during this surreal crisis. I will pass your book on to my Mom who will surely appreciate reading it.
Thank you for continuing to make a difference. Sincerely, Shelley Ann
Thanks for sharing your experience and activities during the pandemic season. We all are going through this a lot. And life is slowly getting to normal.