Easing the lockdown

As of this writing, Georgia will be re-opening on Friday, April 24, but with some restrictions. Gyms, bowling alleys, salons and other indoor venues will be open for business while complying with social distancing rules. There seem to be many questions. How will the social distancing rules be regulated and by whom? 

Will folks who visit the bowling alleys be required to wear gloves, especially to pick up those bowling balls which have those holes in them. Am I wrong on that one or are those bowling balls a breeding ground for bacteria. 

Are gyms a major petri dish? Certainly I can keep my hands off of the treadmills, but that is impossible with everything else in there including weights, weight machines, bikes and ellipticals. 

Movie theaters might be a bit easier to operate in the post-shelter-in-place era, but what about hair and nail salons? There’s some close contact in those places so masks and gloves will need to be mandatory in some sense, right? 

Is this all a mad rush to be the first in the nation to return to something that resembles American societal normalcy? It sounds like this maneuver will be the ultimate test and the ultimate gamble. I do not see anything in between.

While many others and I have the ability to do some work from home, there are many who do not possess that option. For that fact alone, I can empathize. I noticed over the past week, the general population has been getting antsy. The evidence is that there are more vehicles on the road and gas stations/convenience outlets have become quite busy.

As the experts say, thoroughly wash your hands often, sneeze into your elbows, cover the coughs, try to cover your face with a mask and of course, if you feel sick and have a temperature, stay home. Indeed this can be tough for a lot of folks, but it’s all common sense as we return to normal far more soon than most states.

I confess that I’m not looking forward to city gridlock now and forever, but I’m certainly excited to see the Town Green and Forum come back to life. 

While the easing of the lockdown is welcome by many, I cannot pass total judgment on this move. I’ll let others judge.

In the meantime, I’m still enjoying the fresh air breaks while I work from home. There’s always something new to discover on those breaks as well as during the neighborhood runs.