Six Feet Apart

As I predicted, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee extended the Executive Order expiration from May 4, Monday to … May 31, 2020, Sunday.

He was able to coax Washingtonians to hole up in their homes in March. Once that was accomplished keeping us there is a matter of extensions. I’m not upset, I just wanted to record that my prediction was true. During his press conference on Friday, May 1st, he expressed his transparency about using COVID-19 statistics, and other data from model predictors from medical experts to drive his decisions.

What I didn’t know was the phased approach that the Governor proposed.

He mentioned that between each phase will be approximately 3 weeks. Each phase will be implemented based on:

… and that all of them need to see reduced risk: disease activity, health care system readiness, testing capacity and availability, an increase in case and contact investigations once a case is confirmed and risk to vulnerable populations, like those in assisted living facilities.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee, May 1, 2020 Press Conference

The calculation for a resumption of public interactions is July 1st with caveat of physical distancing of six feet apart.

Luke Combs song, Six Feet Apart, best summarizes my thoughts about post #COVID19. The video is in the link I provided. Below are the lyrics to his song.

When the dogwoods start to bloom
And the crickets hum their tune
That’s usually about the time
That I feel most alive

But the news has all been bad
And the whole world seems so sad
I ain’t had much else going on
So I sat down and wrote this song

I miss my mom, I miss my dad
I miss the road, I miss my band
Giving hugs and shaking hands
It’s a mystery I suppose
Just how long this thing goes
But there’ll be crowds and there’ll be shows
And there will be light after dark
Someday when we aren’t six feet apart

First thing that I’m gonna do
Is slide on in some corner booth
And take the whole damn family out
And buy my buddies all a round
Pay some extra on the tab
Catch a movie, catch a cab
Watch a ballgame from the stands
Probably over-wash my hands

I miss my mom, I miss my dad
I miss the road, I miss my band
Giving hugs and shaking hands
Well, it’s a mystery I suppose
Just how long this thing goes
But there’ll be crowds and there’ll be shows
And there will be light after dark
Someday when we aren’t six feet apart

I miss my mom, I miss my dad
I miss the road, I miss my band
Giving hugs and shaking hands
Well, it’s a mystery I suppose
Just how long this thing goes
But there’ll be crowds and there’ll be shows
There will be light after dark
Someday when we aren’t six feet apart

There will be light after dark
Someday when we aren’t six feet apart

The question that lingers in my mind whenever we are able to touch each other with a hearty handshake, an embracing hug or hell, just a high-five … will we want to?

Six Feet Apart

Thankfully we’re moving away from the term social distancing to physical distancing but the measurement of six feet (2 meters) remains the same. I know how some will answer my earlier question: emphatically yes!

But there are others that will have no desire to break the physical barrier. And it won’t take long to identify just who that is. Being six feet apart from people I care about might as well be a world away. I know I’ll be sadden by that discovery.

While I understand it, I probably won’t like it. Will COVID-19 be the pink elephant in the room for social situations when we are not required, or at least obligated to, by physically distanced from each other of 6 feet apart?

How’s dating gonna survive that? Or dancing? I’m a tactile being, always have been. I’m hoping I can survive a post-COVID-19 society in the summer of 2020.

What are your thoughts, Spaceship Earth? I’d love to read them in the comments below. Until then, be good like you should and if you can’t be good … be good at what you do.

‘los