The following comments are those of the author and not necessarily those of P.A.C. Publishing, NightMoves or AAN

That just about says it with the continued spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 going on in America, and the world. Businesses have shut down , restaurants and bars are closed except for takeout and delivery, there are no sports, no live concerts or shows, beaches closed, people urged to stay at home and thousands upon thousands are now working from home (myself included)  and thousands upon  thousands are suddenly unemployed. States, 16 as of today, are either completely shutting down or issuing statewide stay at home orders.  

For someone like me, who lived through the curfews, rationing and life altering restrictions of WW II, this stay at home edict is not only the right thing, but for me personally, it really isn’t all that bad (maybe I will get my second book finished). Let’s be honest here, 2 weeks of self isolation, or social distancing, is not the end of the world or your life. The simple fact is if everyone would do what they have been asked to do, then not only will it save lives, but it also means that life can soon return to normalcy.

I will leave the politics out of this piece because right now it doesn’t matter whether you like or dislike the POTUS, the Republicans or Democrats. Forget politics (I know some can‘t because of hatred), let us all pull together as a nation. What matters most is that if we heed the advice and suggestions of people like U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx and other experts and do what they suggest, the 15 day stay at home is what will help flatten the curve and bring the number of cases down. Studies are showing that the risk in the U.S. is still low, but the scary part now is that it is not only a “danger zone” for people over 65 (of which I am part of) and with various medical conditions, it is also beginning to have an effect on the 18-45 age group, and it’s time they paid attention.

It was very disturbing to see these spring breakers being interviewed on national TV and basically not giving a damn and only thinking about themselves. More than one said if they got it, no big deal, more than one said partying and getting  drunk was more important, more than one said they deserved this party time. But not one of them said they were concerned about possibly transmitting it to their friends, parents or grandparents. I am sure that must make the parents of these idiots, and that is what they are, so very proud. California is in total shutdown, but you would never know it by the pictures showing mobs of people at the beaches. WAKE UP folks!

It is a very tough time for everyone and another BIG problem are the hoarders who are taking things away from people who need them. I still don’t get the toilet paper hoarding thing, but it isn’t just that it is everything, water, meats, canned goods, potato chips, cookies, dairy, etc. Let’s be honest, a lot of these hoarders think that when this is over they will be able to return all the “unused” items and get cash or  credit back. Guess what, the answer is NO they won’t. Smartly many stores have issued a “No return, no refund” policy on items like toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer and other items. So for all you hoarders out there you may have thought you outsmarted everyone, but all you did was screw yourself. I am very glad to see that stores like Walmart, Target, Publix, Big Lots and many others are designating certain pre opening hours just for seniors to shop.

For those who are complaining because their kids are at home, no school and they are “bored”, maybe it’s time to be a real parent for a change now that the schools cannot be your “babysitter”. Try doing things together, projects, games, learning how to cook, how to fix things, etc. Don’t use this pandemic as an excuse for their “boredom”, that is up to you to change. The problem is that many parents won’t bother and will just let their kids do whatever they want. That will become another danger because parents are afraid to infringe on their child’s privacy. Just one more excuse. Kids will play their video games, be on their phones get into troublesome websites that prey on vulnerable pre teens and teens. Again I will say to some families (obviously not all) with children, it’s time to be a real parent. What we are going through right now with this pandemic and all the restrictions that have been placed on us, demands it of you.

I mentioned above that having gone through a tough stretch with WW II that this was not difficult for me. First of all, what we had to endure then was for 4-5 years not just a few months. We didn’t have television, there were no computers, no video games, no such thing as fast food and takeout. We had daily curfews, we had lights out and Civil Defense drills. We had rationing on everything from clothing to food staples, meats, veggies, sugar, etc. We grew “Victory gardens” in our back yards. The war effort took precedence and we sacrificed a lot during that time, but guess what? We made it through and put it behind us and life went on, the country got better and stronger and we also learned how to survive in the worst of times. We can do it again, but only if EVERYONE does their part.

So take a deep breath, suck it up, do as you are asked when it comes to self isolation, social distancing, staying at home etc. and let’s flatten the curve. If we ALL do that we can defeat this and start getting our lives back to normal. It’s YOUR choice. I know which choice I have made  How about you?.

God Bless America.

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN