My 1st Day Out

Yesterday was my 1st day out of our @homecrazzyhome in almost five months. Because of Alan’s asthma, we were advised to shelter in place. First that was supposed to be for twelve weeks, but then it was extended until mid-August.

Each of us have handled this situation differently. Alan has been mostly okay with it, but gotten a bit stir crazzy, especially towards the end. As I discussed in my Misanthrope’s World blog, I have loved every moment and mostly regret that it cannot continue. Even @PanKwake has done surprisingly well with her extroverted #ActuallyAutistic self.

So, what does a misanthrope like me do on her first day out?

Swansea beach — Photo taken by Tara Cox CC BY-NC-SA

The only thing I have missed, of course…

I went for a walk on the beach.

So, what did I discover? Has the world changed in five months?

Surprisingly, the answer to that question is a resounding… YES!

I left the house around 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning.

I think the pictures speak for themselves. In the four years that I have lived in Swansea, Wales, I have never seen the streets or beaches as clean as they were yesterday. Were they perfect? Obviously, not. But there was less than a quarter of the usual trash and litter about.

Unfortunately, the news was not all good. I was out for close to two hours. I walked past hundreds of people. How many masks (other than my own) did I see?

One! Yes, 1.

Other than the taxi driver and barber, who are required to wear them under the law.

Alan Cox wearing the special beard mask that Tara made for him — Alan wearing the special beard mask that I made for him. Photo by Tara Cox CC BY-NC-SA

In our @HomeCrazzyHome, we take masks seriously. Because quite frankly, Alan’s life depends on keeping these numbers low. I even made him this special mask for men with beards. I found the pattern HERE. Because, of course, all the techies out there know he would not be Alan Cox without that beard.

I am sorely tempted to get up on my soapbox and preach a thousand plus word sermon on why everyone needs to wear masks. But I won’t. Because I fear that most people won’t listen and don’t care.

Instead, I have made a list of all the things that I need to get done before the next round of sheltering-in comes along in a few weeks. Things like getting new glasses, having my teeth cleaned, and a haircut as well as loads of name changes that I could not do before.

Yes, I will miss those walks on the beach and in the parks. Yesterday was also the first real work out that my camera has gotten in months, too. So, I will end this post with the beauty that is our world…