Diary of a shut-in, week 4
“Civilization is a stream with banks. The stream is sometimes filled with blood from people killing, stealing, shouting and doing things historians usually record; while on the banks, unnoticed, people build homes, make love, raise children, sing songs, write poetry and even whittle statues. The story of civilization is the story of what happened on the banks. Historians are pessimists because they ignore the banks of the river.” — The Story of Civilization, Will Durant.
I’ve said before that this favorite excerpt is the perfect definition of what I hope every week to accomplish in this column, focusing on the life on the banks of the stream. Of late it seems likely that some of the bank dwellers are slipping into the stream.
It’s obvious the apprehension, loss of control and isolation is taking a toll on many of us, no matter how determined we are to find the silver lining and use the power of positive thinking. We’re seeing and celebrating the helpers but unless we’re essential and out of the house every day, we’re doing it from a distance.
A few days ago I woke from a long nap, sunshine coming through the windows and I thought what a beautiful day. Seconds later my brain registered that while it was indeed a beautiful day, it was still a day with stay at home directives, social and physical distancing, schools and businesses closed and scant resemblance to life as we knew it back in the olden days ... February.
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On Monday I had a tutorial at City Hall so as long as I was out and about for the first time in over a week, I did some grocery shopping in a nearly empty store and then visited the post office in Post Falls. Tape marks on the floor kept us spaced appropriately in the line and the postal clerks are now behind plexi-glass. I made my way to the counter and thoroughly enjoyed the brief interaction with the clerk, realizing how starved I’ve been for such interaction. When I turned to leave there was a line of appropriately spaced people waiting and I was so overcome with the joy of seeing others I actually said out loud, “People! I’ve missed you all!”
They looked at me like I might be crazy but then everyone smiled, some laughed. I’m thinking that when we are finally back to normal I’ll be like George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” when he gets to return to his regular life. I’ll be dancing down the sidewalk, greeting everyone, hugging lamp posts and appreciating every little thing.
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As I write this on Tuesday afternoon, we’re preparing for a historic meeting of the Post Falls City Council. My fellow councilors and I, along with the mayor will have held the Tuesday meeting via Zoom, which was transmitted to a Facebook Live feed on the city’s Facebook page. I feel like I’ve just written something in a foreign language. Not in a million years did I ever envision virtual meetings to conduct the business of the citizens of our city. Thankfully this is a temporary fix and soon the chambers will be filled with the public weighing in on issues and decisions that affect us all.
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This week’s Lemonade out of Lemons Award goes to Marci Clark, an outdoor adventure kind of gal, who along with her husband, Mike Mateo, are hosting an exchange student from Madrid, Spain. They feel bad that the stay-at-home orders prevented them from treating Alex Lopez Lazarro to a spring break trip so are making an effort to create special experiences.
On Sunday afternoon they went to the steps at Independence Point in swim attire for a COVID-19 version of the Polar Bear Plunge. The air temperature was 45 degrees, the water temperature in Lake Coeur d’Alene ... 40 degrees! Yowza.
Alex didn’t hesitate to dive in and Marci walked out chest deep and then submerged herself. The smartest one in the bunch, Mike, did video honors from the shore while fully clothed.
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For the many of us who are not working outside the home it’s tempting to go from night time pajamas to day time pajamas, day after day. Sometimes wearing sweats feels like dress-up day. Last week I was showered and dressed in real clothes by 8 a.m. and it felt like such an accomplishment. So the next morning I declared it to be Formal Friday and along with slacks wore a pretty pink sequin top and glitzy earrings. As a bonus I brushed my hair and wore lipstick. If you’d like to join my Formal Friday movement on Facebook, visit my page and post your photo.
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Happy Birthday today to Amy Bartoo, Wilma Higgins, Greg Prado, Kevin Kram, Patrick Hughes, Veldon Lee and Shanna Riske (40!). Tomorrow Nicole Medlock, Jodi McKenzie, Kimber Gates, John Hays, Caleb Peck, Carol Graham, Joan Nowoj-Phelps, Cynthia Taggart and Tom Messina mark the anniversary of their birth.
Dianna Scott, Sandra Borg, Jim Hightower, Darin McEvers, Sharon Finnerty, Kathryn Rosia and Nancy Benjamin do the birthday dance on Friday and Saturday Lonna Duncan, Idella Mansfield, Karen Zande, Doreen Johnson, Karen Reagan and DiAnna Macklin are the birthday girls.
Bunny kisses on Easter Sunday to Dorothy Morey, Mallary Juarez, Connie Munk, Russell Heitstuman and Kevin Reed. On Monday Chloe Hudson, Angelina Pischner, Evalyn Adams, Kathy Behm and Corbin Messina take another trip around the sun. April 14 Phil Damiano, Mark Robitaille, Stacey Mann, Dana Shapland, Ron Washburn and Bill Gough put on their party hats.
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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.