Tread softly

I don’t have any immunization adverse in my close group of kin, friends, and associates. But at work, I have to beware of members of the citizenry who might hold a peculiar affection for Ivermectin, bleach, or the avoidance of vaccinations for flu or COVID-19.

Early in the pandemic, I adopted sneaky tactics to avoid meetings—working odd hours, coming in the back way, and treading quietly downstairs to where my station servers and equipment are hidden in a room we call the “crypt.”

Furthermore, I avoid all rows, disturbances of the Force, or contentious discussions with the MAHA ( Make America Healthy Again) community. If needed, I cough or lurch on cue to dissuade close contact. One particularly adamant invader of my space ran when I offered him a “hit” from my albuterol inhaler. I winked, looked carefully around, and then hissed, “Hey, it’s good stuff! Genuine USP Pharmacopeia, Heh, heh…if you know what I mean.” He ran away like I was offering him the Black Death. In extreme cases, I offer to get my guitar and serenade them with old-time folk classics I used to sing at Hootenannies in the 1960s. That usually gets them retreating down the corridor!

Look, Covid changed the world. Everybody thought that afterward, things would get back to normal. But instead, it’s just gotten whackier. Every day, some new Tik-Tok “influencer” has another weird thing for the idiots to try. Have you heard of the Foot Drop Challenge? You drop heavy objects on your feet and rate the pain level—no shit Sherlock.

Next, they’ll be challenging people to infect themselves with anthrax and count the days until they die. What! Someone has already done it?

All of this may have started before the pandemic, but since then, the trend has been steadily downward.

Daily writing prompt

How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?

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