Good Saturday

The weekdays and weekends seem to blend into each other when you're home every day and the only real change is in the TV show schedule. I'm talking about over-the-air (OTA) TV, which not everyone watches these days, since there is plenty to watch on streaming services. It was Good Friday yesterday, which means that today is Good Saturday, though the official name is actually Holy Saturday. I remember when I was still a Catholic and I went to a Good Friday service that included the Reading of the Passion. This is a kind of reader's theatre event in which the priest reads the part of Jesus, other clergy or volunteers read other parts, and the congregation reads the part of the witnesses at the crucifixion of Jesus, saying lines like, "Away with Him! Crucify him!" This involved standing up for a long time, to the point of making you feel like you're going to faint. I think the point is to feel for the suffering of Jesus. I remember one lady leaving in a hurry, like she couldn't take it anymore.

I did my usual meditation, TV news, and internet stuff. I did a workout, but I won't do one tomorrow. A workout every other will probably work better for me. Michael S., a friend of Alycia's, called me in the afternoon. He lives in Philadelphia, so he's not up on recent events with her. I told him about what happened with her on Tuesday, when she wanted a blanket. She probably walked to Target and got a blanket the next day. I've tried to call her and text her but she doesn't answer, so I don't know. Michael has been trying to help, but he's been out of the loop. We talked for a while before I went to the store.

The governor of California and the mayor of Los Angeles have told us citizens that we're approaching a critical time in the pandemic, when we must stay home if we can. I have stayed home since Tuesday, but today I felt the need to do some shopping at Trader Joe's. I stood in line with others for a long time. Obviously, it's not as intense as standing during a Reading of the Passion. People are being patient and compliant with the rules when they stand in line. Everyone was wearing a mask. It's required now. We're starting to hear that it's working. The social distancing is keeping down the infection rate. And yet, as of today, the United States is the world leader in both infections and deaths due to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. 20,000 Americans have died from it. Maybe we're all standing patiently in line because we feel for our fellow Americans, and our fellow humans, who have suffered. We all see the news stories and read the articles about people calling 911 and reporting that they can't breathe. We see the pictures of body bags being stacked in refrigerated trucks and coffins placed in mass graves. We're being good because the consequences could be fatal.

In the evening, I called my cousin Chris and got caught with how he's been, how the wife and kids have been. They've been treating the self-quarantine like an extended vacation. I'm glad they're taking it well. Chris and I agree that people shouldn't be going to Easter services tomorrow. By gathering in public they could endanger others as well as themselves. They could spread the virus. I think Jesus would have wanted them to stay home. Jesus used common sense in his teachings, and staying home to prevent disease is just common sense. He also taught forgiveness. I wonder if the people going to the services will be able to forgive themselves if they discover the harm that they have done. I hope to God no one gets sick as a result of their recklessness.