Physical Distancing: you are welcome!

I've been sitting on this blog post for almost 8 weeks now, better spit it out! When I first drafted it, it felt so bizarre to see people not taking #PhysicalDistancing seriously. Almost 100K deaths later, even more surreal... And since it's now Memorial Day, I'm now starting the post with a "you are welcome" to all who served and are serving our democracies, making so many sacrifices to follow incredibly more stringent orders than the ones currently in place to fight this pandemic! Let's reflect on this...

Back to late March, it was just the beginning of the Shelter in Place order for our Santa Clara County, I shared that I got mad with too many hikers not respecting basic physical distancing guidelines (I don't like the #SocialDistancing term and don't feel it makes sense as we've never been so socially connected than nowadays). But I felt some remorse as it looked like I was considering these trails, mine... Since then, based on multiple reports like mine, parks got closed so the problem should be solved.

Moreover, a week later, I pledged not to boast about running anymore, and asked my fellow running buddies around the globe to do so, not to entice more people to explore the outdoors, just at the worst time to have crowded trails! We've invited everybody to do so for several decades, trying to inspire them to leverage this healthy hobby, but it's really not the right time to get started. Sorry.

Meanwhile, where I live, and in many other places, we can still go out to breathe, without driving to distant places; exercise is even encouraged but not for too long, and not too far from your shelter. And, of course, keeping at least 6 feet away from anyone, or even farther away given our extended and powerful exhale when we exercise! (Many studies have been published since then, suggesting even 20 feet.)

Like in the run I mentioned in the first paragraph above, there are still people not exhibiting proper and common civic sense. When I go out in our neighborhood, I've taken a new habit: stepping out of the way first, even if it means going on the street, thankfully rather calm right now. And came a new blog post idea about the expression "you are welcome!"

To all the angels on the front line: you are welcome!

First and foremost, I'm so grateful to all the folks working so hard and dangerously on the front line to keep our world moving. The medical staff in hospitals but also everybody involved in the triage. We talk a lot about the people who have tested positive and show serious symptoms, a huge worry of course, especially as that include a huge proportion of the exposed medical staff. But there are hundreds of thousands of people being sick, unfortunately as usual, to also care about. Then all the medical staff in less essential positions who, like many workers, are out of a job and cannot work from home. On the front line is also all the employees in grocery shops. 10 days after Agnès, it was my turn to go shopping and I felt really uneasy for them as many shoppers did wear a mask and didn't keep the safety distance inside. There are many other people keeping our world running but these two categories are the most exposed in my opinion. You are so welcome for your service and dedication!

To the shelter in place deniers: you are welcome!

I had seen that coming a few weeks ago, the fact that, if we were successful in flattening the curve, the deniers of the tough measures would say: "see, what did we tell you, completely useless, not that many deaths!" And it's already happening, although the death counter is still in the red zone! Before much time, I can hear Trump bloat, after claiming that it was... nothing: "Could have been 200,000 deaths..." Well, when I first worked on this post, we were in the 30K range. Now, on Memorial Day weekend, almost 100K deaths, with 11 states having their record number yesterday! So, obviously, we are not done yet.

Italy, Spain and New York, you are welcome for showing and proving out how terrible (and real!) this pandemic is, and how important it is to not spread it and all catch it at the same time!

To the runners backing off: you are welcome!

When I see anyone on the sidewalk, my incline is to give the right of way and keep running on the street to form sufficient distance. But, sometimes, another runner does it first and I never miss the opportunity to thank them.

To the people who are acknowledging you went out of the way: you are much welcome!

The first week, it was like people looked offended you went off their way and avoided them. A few weeks later, some people take the opportunity to have some genuine acknowledgement and say hello, a basic civility which got lost in our anonymous cities. Days after days you could see the same people and regain of sense of neighborhood. Especially in an area in which you are either inside your house, in your private backyard, or in a car.

Last but not least, to the walkers, runners or cyclists who are not showing any consideration: you are welcome, like it or not!

This is really the category which triggered this post. I love to see the reaction of these users of the sidewalk when, from the middle of the road where I'm taking proper distance, I tell them "you are welcome!" Like when you hold the door open for someone behind you and they go through without any thank or even acknowledgement. My only disappointment is when they don't even hear me because they have earplugs on. Fortunately, this doesn't represent the majority, but it has been quite close to it in my 8-week experiment.

Of course, you can apply this to many other settings, like when shopping, between people caring about others, and those who cut just one foot in front of you... Overall, as you can read between the lines, I'm rather disappointed with the lack of civic sense of many, even in such adversity. What if that would have been a biological terrorist attack? What if we would experience an earthquake? Given so much individualism and politicization!

With that, let's see what reopening and getting out of confinement look like in such a divided society in which a group really cares, and another one, doesn't. Given the images of this Memorial Day weekend at beaches, parks and pools in certain areas, I remain pessimistic... Mind boggling...