So we’re halfway through 2020, and boy has it ever been a boring year so far, right?
Oh, did I miss something?
OK, I’m not even going to bother doing a recap of the first six months of the year because I’m not sure there is enough room on the Internet for all of it.
Suffice to say, it appears we here in the northern part of B.C. appear to be among the most sensible people in the world, partly because we are generally so spread out from each other, keeping social distance is not that big a deal.
However (there’s always a however, isn’t there?), that doesn’t mean we can fling open the doors to all the civic facilities tomorrow and start piling in again. It just takes one case of COVID-19 to undo a lot of what we have all spent a lot of time and energy creating up here.
One thing I have found is helpful in keeping other people away from the region is to tell them it’s a bad year for mosquitoes.
“Our northern mosquitoes will suck your murder hornet dry in a second and then look for something a bit bigger as a main course. Something like a Lower Mainlander figuring they were going to come up somewhere it’s safe.”
We know it isn’t safe on the Lower Mainland, because that’s where we keep seeing the headlines from about groups of people testing positive for COVID-19 after going to a big family get-together or a party or a strip joint.
Up here, our big get-togethers are still more likely to be in a loose circle of vehicles in the parking lot at CN Centre.
Yes, things are loosening up a bit, but nobody I’ve talked to seems to be in a hurry to start seeing how many people they can cram into a Volkswagen Beetle.
Yes, we’re suffering up here, not being to see friends and family to the extent we would like to. Not being to just casually drop by our favourite store to do some shopping, because they might not be open or there might already be too many people in there for safe distancing.
You look at the world six months ago, on New Year’s Day, and you think about how much things have changed, and probably for the worst.
Then you look at our situation compared to three months ago, when the initial clampdown was starting, and you think about how much things have changed, and probably for the better.
Have a great Canada Day (even if you spend it chatting with your neighbours next door from seven feet away).