Here's our sixth round of journal entries for the week. If you'd like to play a part in history as it unfolds before us, please send your submissions to lmizzi@southamptonhistory.org
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Joan Magiet (Eastport)
A coral Sunburst Supports an evening sky Forces a brief smile A cricket chorus Massages the night’s silence Ta ta tum , ta tum A seashell on sand Thrown by waves caught at the shore Wind released from time A stouthearted sloop Maintaining a starboard course Seduces the wind An Azure sky winks Yellow streams of light appear Fireflies sparkle
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Zachary Taylor (age 29, Farmingdale)
As I write this, the full moon should be out. I drove out to the mall parking lot around 8:30pm, seeing if I could spot it in the sky. I found a spot that sits on top of a small hill - easily the highest place I could access in the lot. I brought with me both my camera and a set of binoculars.
When I finally spotted the moon, it was bright orange. Viewing it through the binoculars gave way to its beautiful detail. Aligning both my camera lens and the binoculars together, I was able to get a set of fairly high quality shots. Really unorthodox way of going about this, but it did the job with no issue. I showed some friends of mine, and they were impressed by both the detail of the moon and amused by my method of capturing it.
I should probably invest in that telescope as my father suggested a few years ago.
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Laurie Collins (age 62, North Sea)
We have encountered a problem at my house now that we have a lot of time on our hands. My husband’s list of projects and mine don’t match. He will get up in the morning thinking it’s the perfect day for me to hold the ladder while he works on the gutters. I don’t relish the idea of standing for an extended period of time holding a ladder while debris is dropping on my head and thinking of all the things I could be doing. I can think of closets that need cleaning or rooms that need a fresh coat of paint. He is thinking maintenance and I’m thinking aesthetically. We’re both tired of arguing over priorities.
I was very disturbed by protests I’ve seen on the news. Crowds are gathered protesting losing their rights to gather in public, to choose not to wear masks etc… To make it worse, some have their kids who are too young to comprehend the seriousness of this situation also taking part. They certainly have no respect for the essential workers. To think like them, we might as well all get in our cars and go out and drive recklessly. This is not about losing our rights, it’s about respecting the people who live in the community with us. At a time like this we all have to think of each other.
I’ve found that when I go to bed at night with dark thoughts in my head, I always feel better in the morning!
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Jeannette (Sayville)
I never thought in all my life on Long Island, that I would see something akin to a horrible sci fi movie and star in it!!
The normal day goes something like this....get your gloves and mask if you dare to have to go somewhere like the supermarket or the doctors office. Paranoia hits you from the moment you gather your things to leave...double check for hand sanitizer in pocketbook. Drive to the destination only to do a mental check of how many cars are in the parking lot, then DOUBLE check the head count when you enter the store. You make sure the mask is on correctly and double check THAT!! The object is to get in and out of the place as fast as possible while subconsciously holding your breath if you think someone is less then the appropriate 6 feet away. You find yourself "bouncing off" people in the store like an invisible shield if you come into contact with anyone, veering off to the correct 6 foot distance. You try like heck to not touch too many things even with your latex gloves on or God forbid hold anything against your clothes because then you would have to remove them and disinfectant when you return home. All of a sudden you realize you could also infect the interior of your car if anything touches your clothes, so you put anything you bought on the car floor so it doesn't touch the seat.
Did I mention that the gloves come off being turned inside out as to not touch your skin with the "dirty" part even before you get in the car and place THOSE on the car floor. That is when the hand sanitizer comes out and you lather it on yourself and anything you may have touched on the way in. You drive home afraid to touch anything BUT the steering wheel...no face touching, which basically means your nose or face will now itch like crazy at that moment knowing you can't touch it.
Finally you arrive home relieved because that much paranoia is tiring, but you know your 72 year old Mother with asthma lives with you and you need to be careful. Carefully throwing the gloves OUTSIDE in the trash can, you get home and brutally wash your hands until the skin is so dry from the sanitizer and washing. NOW, the fun begins....oops, I now have to touch the bags I just bought in, wipe everything in the bags down and re-wash my hands again. Should I disinfect my coat and inside of my car?? Sounds funny right?? WRONG!! It's terrifying and tiring and I want it to be over. You literally become afraid of people and going places because you fear the unknown of the illness. Who does it strike, what will it do to me, you or anyone else. I pray for a vaccine soon and pray for all the wonderful people who have died because of it!! Stay safe.