More thoughts in the time of COVID-19 …
Well, I once again have wheels. Mark and I will be sharing the hybrid and there are logistics to be ironed out. Paul would have to be out the door about 0545 on school days if he were to be riding the bus to school. The bus leaves our stop at 0600 for the elementary school where classes begin at 0830, so someone will be taking him to school every morning. He will join Kamille after school and come home with her.
Currently the plan for vehicle sharing is that I will have the car on mondays and fridays … mondays because of the library availability and fridays for shopping and visits with friends.
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Last thursday, friday, and saturday Family Search (the LDS genealogy site) and RootsTech (a branch of RootsMagic which is a maker of software for genealogy), who used to do yearly conferences, this year did an online conference. Lots of interesting classes available free which will continue to be available for the entire coming year. That gives me plenty of time to watch all I want, sometimes more than once.
So far I’ve done several classes and earmarked some of them for repeat attendance. As a result, I have settled on my project for next year … I will concentrate on finding Cuthbert! I am learning about research sites of which I had no clue. Maybe one of them will be the key to unlocking this elusive ancestor. One class that really caught my eye and ear was on using location centered search. Maybe that will do it. That will call for research in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia … at least as starting points … and dates from 1750 to 1840. It looks as if this will be a year-around (or maybe longer) project. But just maybe I’ll find that Revolutionary War Patriot.
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Finally went to town. Road had been acceptable for a couple of days, but I had been involved with the genealogy conference. Paul and I went out for chicken sandwiches , fries, and lemonade at the local Burger King before we did some shopping.
Most people we met were masked and one store sent someone back out to mask. But in one store, the clerk was upset about being masked and was outspoken about refusing the vaccine. This pandemic has revealed some seemingly political opinions, in folks I’ve dealt with over the years, of which I had been unaware. Interesting …
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Also on monday, I had an upsetting occurrence at the local Grocery Outlet. It is owned and run by a man I’ve known since he was a boy at school with my sons and have always felt good with him, even to the point of (before COVID) hugs in the store.
But last monday about 1300, I encountered a young woman (whom I would not classify as a Lady), who was the cashier for the line in which I was waiting to check-out, and as a consequence I left the store feeling belittled and shamed.
I had a rather full cart and the man behind me had one item, so I made room on the conveyor belt and let him go in front of me as I started to unload my cart. The cashier looked at us and pointedly reached to put one of those dividers in the open space between his one item and those I was unloading. I subliminally shrugged and continued unloading. Then, before she began ringing up my order, she began rearranging my items … grocery, cereal, produce, etc. Another shrug. Oh well … who knows what her day had been like.
Years ago, when the store first opened, George and I had been given an “Honorary Savings Card” as a result of his service in WW II. It is worth three dollars off a $35 minimum purchase. I always make sure my total is over $45 before I present the card to the cashier. When I looked up at the register I saw it was over $50 and so placed the card in sight on that little desk beside the card reader.
The cashier instantly stopped what she had been doing, looked at me and the remaining items to be checked, pulled out the cooking wine and a gallon of milk, set them aside, and said in a clear voice something to the effect (I don’t recall exact words) that she can’t give a discount on wine or milk and that in any case I can’t use an EBT card for liquor. An EBT card came with my MediCal registration and is good for $16 a month. Her voice carried to the extent that others in line, and the cashier at the next checkout station, turned to look.
I was surprised and noted I had never had a problem with the savings card before at which she picked up the card, shoved it toward me pointing at it and informing me clearly that it says right on the card “Excludes liquor and dairy”. I told her I wasn’t trying to argue or do something out of line, just noting the difference in experiences and that maybe the machines had been reprogrammed to no longer do that task automatically or maybe Rodney (the owner) possibly had new rules.
That wasn’t the end of our interaction, but I have no reason to delineate further.
She continued with the checkout, ringing up the wine and milk separately so we went through the card routine twice. And, as I was pushing my cart toward the door (my purchase totaled a bit over $100), she called after me in a voice which carried to all those in the checkout lines “Have a good day”. She gave a short laugh, which was joined by the adjacent cashier, and followed that with “I hope you’re having a good afternoon. My name is Jody”.
Here it is, two days later and I can still feel the discomfort. I had never before had that kind of interaction with any store employee. I can’t think of any reason she would single me out for that kind of treatment… because of the EBT card or possibly my white hair, since she intimated I didn’t understand liquor restrictions and couldn’t read the card?
My first reaction was to call Rodney but decided not. Now, two days later, I am considering writing to him. If she felt free to treat me that way, would she hesitate to treat others the same?
End of hurt-feelings-rant.
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Just finished a short delve into a book titled A Witch’s Brew which is an anthology of Gothic tales written by women including Christie, Shelly, Wolfe, Sartor, and many others. There is one tale titled The Yellow Wallpaper which had been a favorite of George’s. The one by Virginia Wolfe was especially chilling.
Current read is the third in Dorothy Sayers’ series featuring Lord Peter Wimsey. Jolly good fun.
And I finally watched the 7th season of Endeavour. I wonder if anyone has searched for Colin Dexter, the author of the Morse novels, and made a list of appearances since he is said to be somewhere in every episode a la Hitchcock. Maybe, after my relocation, I will rewatch Endeavour, Morse, and Lewis in order and knowing where to watch for Mr. Dexter would be entertaining.
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Weather has been off and on … but without snow. Temperatures ranged from high 20s to high 40s with significant melt. There are now more bare patches than icy snow spots. Today is chilly but clear. Spring approaches.
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Here’s today’s thought for all of us …
I resonate deeply with the truth I learned from Elie Wiesel: “Indifference is not neutral. The opposite of love is not hate- it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
In fact indifference is the same as inaction.
To do nothing is to do something.
So … ‘til next week …