Saturday, June 20, 2020

Rainy night thoughts


Looks like the rainy season is here. We are having a storm right now. Thunder, lightening and lots of rain. My goal is to learn how to enjoy this season. There are too many months of it not to do that.

The corona virus is spreading. I look at the numbers of deaths in Jalisco every few days. It was over four hundred today. The police trucks come by in the evenings with their loud speakers blasting out in Spanish and English for us to stay home. Few people pay any attention to the warnings.

I couldn't stand to stay inside any longer. I was going crazy. I joined a pool that is within walking distance of my house and three days a week I walk with Chico for half an hour, swim for an hour and walk home. My entire state of mind has changed. I no longer feel like life isn't worth living. Maybe I will get the virus and I won't live as long as if I had stayed locked away but at least I will die happy.

I try not to get irritated at all the people I meet on the path who refuse to wear masks. Or else they wear them on their necks, not covering any part of their faces. I would say that well over fifty percent of the Mexicans have chosen to do that. And twenty percent of the expats. I know that masks are very uncomfortable. But so is having the virus.

Three days ago, a man on a bicycle was crossing the carretera and he was killed. I didn't see the accident. I passed the scene about an hour after it happened. I saw the mangled bike and then a body that was covered by a blanket along the side of the road. I saw a foot sticking out of the blanket. A man's foot.

The police were there and the road was blocked off. No one was paying any attention to the body. When I returned, two hours later, the body was still there, being ignored. So three hours had passed with the body there. Ignored. A sadness welled up within me. What if that were my son? Ignored in death along the side of the road.

It also put into perspective my irritation with the people not wearing their masks. Life is so tenuous! Precious! Fleeting! Gone in a moment. I must be kinder to those I pass on the path and smile under my mask, not frown because their faces aren't covered. They, or I, might not be here tomorrow.



6 comments:

  1. So glad you are able to swim again and are able to take Chico for his walks! Being in a "good" frame of mind goes along way to help one stay healthy. I hear that Ajijic is opening up again and that traffic on the Carretera is getting rather heavy. Not so sure that is such a good idea with covid 19 still so active. But just like here Stateside, everyone wants life to get back to normal asap. Many people here no longer wear face masks either.
    What pool did you join? I hope it is one you can walk to and not have to ride a bus to. But again being in a better frame of mind probaly is worth the risk of a crowded bus.
    So sad to hear aboud the cyclist's death. The Carretera is rather a dangerous place to walk or ride a bike. I was under the misguided belief that walkers had the right away because the drivers in Ajijic always wait so patiently for people to cross streets. I found out the hard way that that is not the case on the Carretera! My husband and I were walking along the North side of the Carretera near upper La Floresta. We decided to take the street that runs parallel along the main street to get away from the heavy traffic. I stepped off the curb to cross on to the parallel street when my husband forcibly pushed me sideways away from the road. A truck that was flying down the Carretera decided it was going to drive on this side street and veered off at the last minute and would have hit me had it not been for my husband's quick reflexes. Needless to say I would have never known what hit me. The truck was going so fast it is doubtful I would have survived. The driver never even slowed down. That was a real eye opener for me!
    I see that they are working very hard at completing the bike path from Chapala to Jocotepec. Hopefully that will keep cyclist safe in the future. (Not so sure about walkers on the bike path though! I find our local bike path rather dangerous when bikers going serious speeds, attempt to pass unsupecting walkers! Bikers, when they alert a walker, tend do do it at the last minute causing a startle reaction in the walker. I am always afaid someone is going to be starteled right into the path of the bike.)
    I appreciate your posts and look forward to new ones.
    Cannot wait to get back to Lakeside but who knows when that will be???
    Take care and be safe,
    Amy

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    1. Hi Amy, thank you for writing to me. I am so glad your husband saved you from being hit. I think the man on the bike was hit by a truck. It took me a very long time to get used to motorists having the right of way over walkers. The pool is just a half hour walk from my House and i can walk on the new bike path. I keep to one side and hold Chico close. People on bikes are pretty good about avoiding walkers but I am always watching out for them. Take care of yourself. P

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  2. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins which in turn make you happy. I noticed during the shutdown that the less I exercised the worst my attitude became. It's good you are able to exercise again. You don't know how important something is until you can't do it any longer. Stay safe!

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    1. Thank you for commenting and for that information. When I exercise, I Feel good the rest of the day. Those endorphins are like happy pills. P

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  3. Happy to hear that you are able to go to the pool again. We are reopening in NYC and some people stopped wearing masks. I also find it very upsetting and try to avoid them. The stores are opening up and I went to Macy's. Even though I don't like shopping it was a treat just to go someplace.

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    1. Hi Donna, good to hear from you. I am glad you are able to get out now. It has been a long haul. P

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