Stories from lockdown

March 24,2020

Del Mar, CA

 

It is a sunny day in Southern California, but the city of San Diego remains a ghost town. Parks and beaches are closed, malls are asleep, and the sound of clinking glasses in local bars has long gone.

 

Yesterday we attended senior hours at Ralphs, our go-to grocery store in Del Mar. There was a line of “young people” waiting to get in at 8;00 AM, but at 7:30 the old folks had the run of the store. I walked to the designated entrance and almost immediately a beefy employee started yelling at me. I finally figured how what he was saying and complied. Then he yelled again, telling me to get 6 feet from a person. Mistake. Golfers know zero to ten feet like the back of our hands. I told him ,” no, I was at 6 feet.” He went silent.

 

Our tip through the aisles was surreal. Usually, Ralphs is a happy place with people buying goodies they anticipate devouring with relish! Not so yesterday. The place had a zombie feel with masked seniors warily walking around the store. In wartime, people bond against a common, visible enemy. Now one’s fellow citizens have to be treated as the enemy. Very weird! 

 

At the checkout line, the cash register lady was crying. Since her work station was adjacent to the beefy bully, I assumed he had been at it again, but I may have been wrong. We smiled and were nice to her, but she remained upset. 

 

The Governor has directed people to stay home as of last week. When the notice came, I stopped playing golf. Most of the courses immediately closed, if they hadn’t before. The course I play on Mondays stayed open. That Sunday the sheriff showed up and closed it down. The place had been packed all weekend. Go figure!