Do What You Can to Stop the Spread of the Coronavirus. Please.

The current rule in Italy during the Coronavirus lockdown is that only one person in the family is allowed to shop (which when the time comes, won't be me). And, that one person can only shop for articles of the utmost necessity.

That's why it's hard for me to understand why some of my friends feel the need to grocery shop again and again.  I went 22 days ago and I haven't been back.  I don't really like much of what I'm eating, but I eat.  Everything that I want to make is missing one ingredient, so I don't make it. But that's not enough to think that another trip to the market is important. 

These rulebreaking friends make me mad (both angry and crazy).  My initial frustration came out of concern for them.  They shouldn't be out so much, they shouldn't touch the dirty shopping cart and then accidently touch their mouth or eyes, they shouldn't be in a place where they might be sneezed on.  But this frustration has since turned to anger because I don't think they're doing their part. 

For the moment, I have enough food to avoid the grocery store.  But one of these days I'll have to go because I'll have run out of canned peas and pasta.    Finding a crowded store will make shopping more of a risk for me.  And if the reason the store is crowded is because it's full of people like my friends that go day after day for articles that aren't of the utmost necessity,  and one of those 'friends' sneezes on me in a crowded aisle, I'll have one more reason to hate grocery shopping.

The rapid spread of the Coronavirus is the dangerous part. The spread is why there aren't enough test kits or hospital beds. It's essential to learn from the first unfortunate countries that had no guidelines and stop the spread now.

Wangari Maathai won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. She uses the Hummingbird Fable to illustrate how the smallest of contributions is important.

Wangari Maathai's story

One day a terrible fire broke out in a forest, and a huge woodlands was suddenly engulfed by a raging wild fire. Frightened, all the animals fled their homes and ran out of the forest. As they came to the edge of a stream they stopped to watch the fire, feeling very discouraged and powerless, and grieving the destruction of their homes. Every one of them thought there was nothing they could do about the fire - except for one little hummingbird.
This particular hummingbird swooped into the stream and picked up a few drops of water, then flew into the forest and put them on the fire. Then it went back to the stream and did it again, and it kept going back, again and again and again. All the other animals watched in disbelief; some tried to discourage the hummingbird.
“Don’t bother.”
“It’s too much.”
“You’re too little.”
“Your wings will burn.”
“Your beak is too tiny.”
“It’s only a drop.”
“You can’t put out this fire.”
And as the animals stood around disparaging the little bird's efforts, the bird noticed how hopeless and forlorn they looked. Then one of the animals shouted out and challenged the hummingbird, asking in a mocking voice, “what do you think you are doing?” And the hummingbird, without wasting time or losing a beat, looked back and said, “I am doing what I can.”

If we all do our part, we could help stop the spread of the virus.  And if we stop the spread, we could save lives.  Living your life without fresh fruit and vegetables for a few weeks might be saving the life of someone else.