Shopping today restored my faith in Humanity.
We live in the Poconos, PA. Husband and I are 71. He is a disabled Vet. We went for the first time shopping at local Commissary.
Quite a number of Vets and Soldiers in the uniforms. Fully stocked, even with TP. No Panic, Small with narrow aisles. People here helping people; young t old and visa versa. Husband is 6'1" with Parkinson's. Young, petite woman could not reach top shelf. "I will set it for you", husband said. Near the meat section there were a crowd of people. I asked if there was any ground beef. A soldier handed to me. Thanks you.
Checkout out asile a young Minority woman ahead of my on Express THIRTY items or under, said she forget something. Can you hold my place in line? Sure why not? When the bagger (!!!!) at check out line asked if she would take out cart out to Parking Lot for us, I whispered to her that my hsuband uses the cart as his Walker. She nodded and smiled.
Then went to Senior Discount Day at Shop Rite for what we could not get at Commissary. Very similar situation of people helping other people. No panic, not SHUNNING others. with 6 foot distances. Went to buy canned tomatoes to make my own Gravy and by Pasta. Jar Sauce all gone and not Pasta except for two on top shelf. I started climbing (5'1"
the shelf to get it . young woman next to me who could not have 3 inches taller, said I will get it for you. Thank you so much. A couple of inches makes all the difference in the world. She could not stop laughing.
Check out line. Middle Aged Woman let me go ahead of her on line. Woman ahead of me in line was very elderly in her 80s. She was having trouble picking up her groceries and putting them in her cart. Can I help you? I loaded her cart for her. I am 71. We better all RUN to the Clorox Wipes.
Nobody in either of these places were TERRIFIED of being around and helping other people. Nobody was wearing masks, standing 6 feet away, or using hand santizers, etc.
Maybe many people care more about other PEOPLE, than themselves. Better lock everyone up in their home to prevents this CDC Disregard of "health standards. I say to you fellow DU'ers that YOU are the selfish people if this is how you feel.
The closest I can relate to this was living in NY after 9/11. This is how the public reacted them. We personally knew one man who carried other coworkers down the collapsing building. I don't think many of you DU'ers on here would have DONE THAT risking your own lives. Slam the Old Lady if you wish but I think some of you are the Selfish ones.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Last edited Tue Mar 17, 2020, 05:42 PM - Edit history (1)
measures and then for YOU to state that we are being "selfish to follow the sciences based public health recommendations designed to protect you and me and all those lovely people of your community is disgusting.
We rightly disparage Trump and Fox for their attempts to downplay this pandemic and the recommendations of CDC and experts. Yet you come here and post the same? Even disparaging use of hand wipes? 
You state:
Are you kidding me? That is as irresponsible as I have ever seen here.
I can only assume most people have not read your full post and missed it. Your trip may have restored your faith in humanity and I am glad for that, but your post denying the seriousness of this pandemic and the steps being taken to protect us all, has gone a long way to destroy my faith in you. It will be me, my sister, my Health Care Worker colleagues nearby and throughout the country who will put our lives at risk to save yours or that of the elderly community members you unintentionally infect if your blase' attitude leads you to fail to take basic self-protective measures that you so deride. So, I ask my fellow DUers, WHO IS THE SELFISH ONE?
That ending was... weird.
Thank you, hlthe2b, for the incredibly important and much appreciated work that you do.
Family is family. But for the first four days since her last contact with non-family members, you both need to be as cautious as possible. Frequent hand washing, try to hold off on the hugs and kisses for a few days.
It’s a small price compared to her sitting outside of ICU while you fight for your life and she lives with the guilt for a preventable transmission.
She cares about you, so she is coming. We strangers here care about you too, and that’s why we want you to stay healthy and posting on DU for decades to come. Well plus we Democrat’s need all the democratic votes we can get!
Best wishes, enjoy your time with your family.
Over the past couple of weeks I've personally witnessed many many acts of breathtaking kindness and humanity.
It's not all bad. Not by a long shot.
GO! You crazy Samaritans! RAH!
From another Pocono's resident... 
The OP was only trying to say that we can still act civilly during this time of fear.
You can walk down the food store aisles and douse your hands with sanitizer after you touch each and every item, or you can do it in the privacy of your car, after you have completed all the dangerous actions.
If you aren't next to a sneezing person, maybe a 6 ft distance is a guideline, not the law.
Are we going to start screaming at someone who is 5 ft away?
Common sense and civility will get us through this.
If you think about it, the screamers and overreactors are also the ones who may be this close (picture thumb and index finer about inch apart) to totally freaking out. When as a society we hit total freakout level, it can quickly devolve into violence and looting.
We all need to take a deep breath (through a properly effective face mask, if we have one 
) and be calm. We will only get through this if we treat each other with courtesy. We are NOT pod people, trying to take over your life.
We STILL have to have it together enough to GET OUT THE VOTE in massive numbers to rid ourselves of the turd in the toilet bowl who MADE THIS CRISIS WORSE by refusing test kits offered by other countries, or admitting there was even a problem, ONLY worried about his poll numbers.
Let's save our energy and outrage for that little item on our "to do" list.
The end of the crisis will be bitter sweet if we are still alive, but are so afraid or anxious with each other that we are traumatized as a society. There is enough trauma to go around, without amplifying it with rudeness.
