Wishing all SL113.org folk well

[Merc_Girl]

Just thought I would drop a note to reach out across everyone out there, as this terrible virus has now touched every continent.

Stay safe everyone and keep a level head. Don’t let a little virus make us forget our humanity to others!

Take care of yourselves and others (and your pagodas of course!)

Katie

[Pawel66]

Thank you Katie!
Stay safe!

[JamesL]

Thank you Katie
My part of London is quiet - the background hum has gone, and I notice fewer planes in the sky. It sort of feels peaceful but also a calm before a storm
We - not all of us - will get through this. Hopefully the losses teach us all something about ourselves, eachother, our humanity and our planet

Meanwhile, stay safe

[RAY]

Lovely sentiment Katie, Thanks.

Stay safe and everyone take care and we will come through it.

Ray

[Benz280]

As well as to be expected, best way to maintain social distancing is to get behind the wheel and drive  ( One car length for each 10MPH ) . And when you get home, you will feel better than when you started

[mauro12]

Regards from Italy. The situation here is like the worst nightmare ever. Car is sleeping in garage right now and probably for all month.

[Pawel66]

Keeping the fingers crossed for you guys there, Mauro. Hard to watch the news...hope it ends soon.

[Aaron h]

I'm holding my own.  I'm very used to spending a lot of time alone and not having human contact for days on end.  So I *think* I'll be able to handle the isolation.  This situation has given me reason to think more about things I rarely, if ever, think about.  For example, I had a very alarming thought the other day.  I thought to myself, "if I died in my sleep tonight it would be one to two weeks before anyone found me or suspected something was wrong".  So I guess that I, and others who are loners like I am, should start checking in with at least one person every day.  I'm so disconnected that it was a week and a half before I knew that the time had changed, and a week before I knew anything about this illness.  I have no cable, I don't watch or listen to news, and the local radio station I listen to doesn't air news of any kind.  Even though I have internet I still don't open anything that airs news or headlines. So I'm thankful a close friend from San Diego reached out to me to check on me.  He explained why he was checking up on me, and afterward I did my own research to bring myself up to speed/ Though, not all of my thoughts have been about me. 

I've thought long and hard about others around the world who have not been fortunate.  Even people my age and younger who were otherwise healthy individuals have succumbed to this horrible illness.  That could be me or anyone I'm close to!  It's hard to imagine something that can only be seen with a microscope can cause such mass death, and so quickly.  I certainly respect the potency of this illness, as well as how easy it is to contract, but at the same time I try to keep a positive mindset......and I'm not going to lie.....it's a really hard balance to maintain.

I'm also sending warm thoughts to everyone's way.  I'm hopeful that no one on this forum has been affected, directly or indirectly.  However, if you have then know that you're in my thoughts.   Please reach out of any of you need to!  I'm certain that most of us on here are good for more than just car talk.   

[johnk]

Thanks Katie
My daughter is in London attending University college London. She and her friends just rented a house in the country side in Northern scotland to get farther away from the crowds and risk.  She will be leaving in a few days. Not sure if that is a smart move or not.

John

[Peter van Es]

To all friends on this forum: please stay safe. Many of us are in the dangerzone in terms of age. And it’s not about the cars: it is the people that make the Pagoda SL Group such a special place.

If there are just two articles you read on the virus, make it these two:

• https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca
• https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-the-hammer-and-the-dance-be9337092b56

Peter (did drive my Pagoda last week in social Isolation and trying to keep safe)

[FGN59]

Thank you Peter for the references to these articles. We’d been looking for something like this, comprehensive, with worldwide perspective, retro- and prospective.

Altogether scary (nothing new there if you’re trained or used to using even scarce data to work out possible consequences of what you’re seeing), but it shows without ambiguity that we have to get ready for a brave new world... The transition could be ugly, or just painful, depending on our dear politicians. Care to guess which it will be?

Enjoy your families and friends, even at a distance, while you can, try to do some good or avoid doing harm, and use your Pagoda both for immediate enjoyment and as an example of what can be done when we pull together to produce a masterpiece (MB) or maintain it (sl113.org).

[MikeSimon]

The situation in Ohio is still not too bad. "Only" 3 deaths and 247 cases as of this writing.
My wife and I went to Amelia Island earlier this month and proceeded further south from there to celebrate our 25th anniversary. After spending 5 days on Singer island, we cancelled our plans to go to Key West for another week and turned around to go home. We stocked up on provisions and are practicing "social distancing". Going for a walk through the neighborhood every day and trying to stay informed.
Be well, everybody and hunker down!

[Cees Klumper]

The issue Mike is that when you write there are only 247 cases in Ohio the truth is there are probably several thousand, they/you just don't know it yet. You will see in a week or so. Good for you to take precautions against contracting or possibly spreading the virus yourselves, everyone should be doing the same. I follow Key West on a daily basis and they are now in lockdown with a ban on any tourism (that is being ignored by many, unfortunately). LA county has stopped almost all testing, even of patients, as there are not enough tests. So here we stopped counting altogether.

[JamesL]

Cees, similar to here but there’s one metric they will count. Ask those in Lombardy

[Merc_Girl]

Folks

This notice was started to share a bit of love and thoughts across the continents in this difficult time.
The subject has become a little morose and lacking positivity.

I accept there will be some deep sorrow for some, but we will get out the other side, if we all stick together and be sensible.

I have therefore added a few attachments to inject a different viewpoint

Stay safe out there and follow the advice

Katie

[FGN59]

Bloody right!

[Pawel66]

Thank you, Katie, for this post.

[Cees Klumper]

My positivity consists of urging people to take heed and protect themselves and others. If that saves just one life then to me that is worth more than just sending good vibes.
To each their own, but I feel that at this time, with so many still discounting this as 'just another flu' or 'a hoax' or 'a takeover by the dems and their fake media' and to just 'stop panicking about it' and'just let us go back to work' (seriously, those comments are all over social media) we can't be too bloody serious.

[Merc_Girl]

I agree Cees that it is serious, and hence my original message.

However, we should remain positive in these difficult times, if nothing else, to help with people’s mental health. So let’s share some good news stories, like 3 older ladies in the Uk who had to self isolate, so they all moved into the one house so they keep each other company and said they had a lot of wine in! Or the student who’s course has now stopped, so created  a website for volunteers to help those who are self isolating. Was overwhelmed by students offering to help! Now there is a whole ‘army’ of young people making sure those who are self isolating are getting food and some interaction (talking through the window).
So that’s what I mean by positively, not repeating the information we here on the news anyway.
If there are stupid chat rooms stating this is not serious or the usual conspiracy theories, just don’t go to them. You’re not not going to change their minds, stupid is as stupid does. Hopefully the Darwin theory will help out there.

[Cees Klumper]

Sure -so a positive story was that when the Italian authorities asked for volunteer health workers to come to the North they received far more responses than expected, including from retired health workers who are well into their eighties. Another one that comes to mind is the voluntary global linking of massive amounts of computer processing power to help with the research into the virus. These are all good examples of how staying positive does help in the fight.

[cfm65@me.com]

Thanks Katie,
Take care and try to stay healthy, to all 113 folk and their loved ones.
Regards
Chris

[wjsvb ✝︎]

A shout-out to at least two of our members who are ER docs: gotta be busy and in danger: Jim Rosenthal and Eddie Black.  Stay as safe as you can!  And the same to any of our members who are on the front lines of this situation! Jon

[Merc_Girl]

Here, here!! 😌

[mmizesko]

Katie,

What a wonderful sentiment.  Wish there were more like you.  Especially in Ohio.  As lives have slowed down due to this outbreak, I have noticed an uptick in kindness, except at Costco, where ordinary shopping carts have been weaponized.  The knives attached with Duct tape were a clear giveaway.  I should have known better.

Stay home and well everyone.  I have to run a short errand, and was thinking of taking the Pagoda out, but I'd probably be arrested because we are under Martial Law.

Best Wishes!

Mike

[Merc_Girl]

We are mostly being very ‘English’ since Boris’s announcement and queues are popping up everywhere . All standing the regimented 2m apart.  Looked like we are joining a line dancing competition!!

I swear to god us Brits are drawn to a queue and join them automatically,  not even knowing what we are queuing  for 😂

Stay safe everyone, love thy neighbour (even if they are an idiot) and let’s look out for one another. Think of the extra time you have to polish your lovely pagodas

Katie