Thoughts during the apocalypse, Part 16.

I am almost totally unmotivated today.

Normally, this should be followed by a statement to the tune of, "... but it's a beautiful day outside and I'm sure my spirits will soar," or some other appropriate bullshit. Nope. Not today. Today is a "aw, fuck it" kind of day, and it isn't being helped much by the sounds of young children frolicking in a nearby public park, oblivious to the social-distancing guidelines that their parents should be enforcing during this time of national crisis. There are more people inside this tiny park right now than I usually see at a high school softball game this time of year.

Look, I know we're all going stir-crazy. But these "guidelines" (which have yet to be made mandatory, and I'm wondering if maybe the time has come for that) are for their protection. This will sound insensitive, but if you want to flaunt them thinking, "Well, it can't happen to me," then go ahead. Become a statistic. My bleeding-heart liberalism stops at stupidity.

Why am I more bitter today than usual, you ask? Well, maybe it's because there's just too much ignorance, selfishness and callous disregard for social responsibility evident in public behavior.

I reached a new level of disgust on Sunday during a brief tour of a few local supermarkets in search of staples that I need in order to make it through another week of near-seclusion. You may also ask why I need to go out that often? It's because I don't buy a lot of items that might spoil in more than a week's time. As a single person who's not cooking for multiple individuals, large quantities of food can go unused and go bad, thus wasting resources and money.

And yes, money is important. I just got my financial statement from the last quarter today, and I lost 18 percent of my investments over that time. Eighteen percent!!! That's roughly 4-5 years of my retirement up in smoke in just three months. Now, I know, it may come back. It was a lot worse just a week ago. But it's still not a good look, and it doesn't help the state of mind any.

So, during the aforementioned supermarket and pharmacy trips, I found a disturbing trend. While many people (like me) were wearing facial coverings and latex gloves while shopping, many of those gloves were being cast to the pavement before their former wearers left the parking lot.

How incredibly insensitive is that?

Understand, it's not just the littering part. Let's just say for the sake of argument (and I hope I'm overstating) that those gloves have done their job and are teeming with coronavirus that did not make it to the skin of their wearers. By callously heaving them out the window, they are creating an increased risk for those whose job it would be to pick them up off the ground and dispose of them properly.

I mean, come on! The people working in these establishments are already putting themselves at risk by being in the stores while the rest of us have been told to stay home? Why threaten their lives any more?  Are we that stupid and selfish?

Apparently, some of us are.

** We are very fortunate to not be under the yoke of an oppressive stay-at-home edict, but the least we can do in return is to try to adhere to some of the guidelines, such as social distancing and wearing at least some sort of protective equipment. I'm now wearing a mask when I go into a store, although it is a pain in the butt for one big reason -- my breathing fogs up my glasses. Sure, I could take off the glasses, but the end result would be the same; I'd be bouncing off objects of all sorts because I couldn't see them.

A small price to pay for another day without welcoming COVID-19 into my home.

** One bit of good news to report: The annual greening of my property has resulted in four really impressive sproutings of daffodils. They seem to be a much more vibrant yellow this year than they have been in the past, so it's nice to see at least one sign of rebirth in this otherwise disheartening spring.

Indeed, it's almost time to mow the lawn. I still have a few brown patches here and there, but most of the green is coming in quite well. In fact, there are a few areas where I might want to get the trimmer out before I haul out the mower.

And that's why I'm sneezing, too. But I'd rather it be for that reason than anything else.

** OK, maybe a few more "Curb Your Enthusiasm" episodes will knock me out of this funk. By the way, the body temperature is 96.7. See you tomorrow.