Thank you, Lighter and Hops
I am so grateful to have your input. I feel much better today - slept better and woke up this morning determined not to let other people rain on my parade. This has the potential to be a good time for me and son - lots of time to rest, work on home activities, shred paperwork, do yoga and so on - that this could be a really good thing for us. I'm not going to let other people, who can't just sit home and read a book, spoil that for us. So no more thinking about my mum, or anyone else for that matter. I'm only answering the phone now to people who I know will be calling to say, hey, Tupp! I read a book I think you might like, or I saw that such and such a film is on tonight and I know you like that sort of thing. Practical people who deal with the situation and who, if they aren't coping, recognise that and try to do something about it themselves, not people who offload their shit on to me. Humph! Lol.
I think a lot of people are less aware of the risk, because they're not at such serious risk. People who haven't had (or currently got) significant health problems or close relatives with them, or who don't fit the age demographic of 'you're not worth a ventilator so we won't give you one' just don't feel as exposed, I think, as other people who know that if they get this that (a) it will, at the very least knock them for six, (b) is more likely to be very serious, if not fatal for them and (c) won't make the grade if there isn't enough equipment to go around (or, as Hops has pointed out, don't want to be rigged up to a machine and would rather sort things out themselves). So I think that's part of the problem.
I do think as well, and I'm sorry because I'm on my socialist soap box again, that Western arrogance and privilege play a part with some people. There are so many people in the UK (and I'm sure in the States as well) who have genuinely never gone without. They've never not been able to buy whatever they fancy in the supermarket or been unable to go out (or order in) whatever and whenever they want. There's no need in the UK to look after your health in order to get medical care on the NHS. There are some instances where they won't perform surgery until people lose weight or stop smoking because of the increased risks but generally speaking people here can ignore medical advice as much as they want and they'll still get treatment regardless. So there are few people who actually know what it's like when a doctor can't magically make you better. They've never been without a nice home, money for luxuries, unlimited travel options and so on and so forth, and it's not a lifestyle just reserved for the very wealthy. People on moderate incomes here can live like that. And of course, many people do appreciate all they've got and are aware of how lucky they are, but a surprising number I think do feel that they will always be able to carry on like that. They don't seem to take the risk seriously because they've just not been in a situation before where there isn't 'someone' who will sort everything out for them - the food magically appears in the shops, the water keeps flushing the toilets, you can buy as much unnecessary crap as you like and there's no penalty. So I do think it leads to a kind of notion that they'll be alright no matter what.
Hops, I feel anxious when groceries arrive, and when taking in any other package or doing anything like putting the bins out. I think it's natural. It's a bit like having to deal with spiders
Lighter, I wouldn't go visiting them if you don't feel comfortable. If they're not taking precautions with you then they won't be anywhere else either. There's no hope of stopping this completely until they stop letting people travel between different countries. They're still letting people off planes unchecked here. They just disembark and head straight out. No checks, no testing. All to protect corporate interests. It's madness.
Anyway, that's my little musing for the day
Thank you for letting me waffle on
lol xx
