IS IT A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE I GET IT TOO?
By Tone Daley
“In health, the body obeys the will; in sickness, the will follows the body.”
Jack Mitchell 2017
Is it a matter of time before I get it too,
Or, is this plague meant only for you?
‘In health, the body obeys the will,’
Months pass, the virus is with us still.
It’s easy to give up and pretend it will go away,
Until the virus enters your home and wants to play.
A whole country is sick for the world to see,
And, the country’s leadership is stuck up a tree.
While many were vocally opposed,
Borders have opened and closed.
And, it’s hard not to be in a little crazy
When so many people are pushing up daisies.
A crap shoot, or roulette wheel my life is not.
So why at every turn do I feel I’ve forgot
To wash my hands, or wear a mask?
It’s because not everyone’s up to the task.
The Bahamas was one of the only countries happily accepting US citizens. That all changed on July 22nd when they stopped allowing folks from the US to enter the island nation. The Bahamas had opened to US commercial and tourist traffic on July 1, 2020. This also meant Bahamians could go to the US (Florida) to shop and party after a three-month lockdown. With $150 roundtrip airfare, the islanders went in large numbers. They went to Targets, Home Depots, O’Charly’s and Outback Steakhouses in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. Along with their merchandise they brought back the coronavirus.
The most recent outbreak has largely been contained to New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) Islands. Some of the other islands have a smattering of cases, but most islands are virtually virus free. Good work America, you’ve closed the last border. The Bahamas is still permitting people from the UK and Europe to enter, that’s a major snub in my book.
I’m leaving the Bahamas and returning to the US on Monday, August 17th. I should probably have my head examined. After six glorious weeks in this island paradise I have to return to the virus infected rat-race that is the US. Aside from dreading all of the election emails, calls and texts I’ll be getting, I’m stressed about the virus. In the Bahamas the virus is invisible because it’s nowhere; in the US it’s invisible and everywhere. The most amazing thing is that everyone in the Bahamas is wearing masks, sanitizing and maintaining their distance, which means respecting your community and listening to the science; in the US, not so much.
