Social Distancing, Shelter in Place and the Dierker Space

Corona virus. Someone came up with the terms, social distancing and shelter in place. It has to do with a pandemic. I am sheltering in place and social distancing. Oops I am an isolationist. I like it. I think the terms shelter in place and social distancing means to stay away from others. Now that is just wrong. But I am doing it. Social distancing and Shelter in place make sense with our corona virus.

Here is a fun one for you. I have cancer. But unless I told you, you would not know. I am a bull. I just charge ahead. Now you say that is a good thing. Yes indeed it is. But here is the problem. I am a bull and I just charge ahead. Silly old me, I might have the virus and still just charge ahead. I am fully cocked and loaded and bull my way through life. A fever means I am hot and a sneeze means I hit dust. Not the best attitude to protect others.

My neighbor and I talked over the fence. We almost did a social connect. But not really. OK really. Too much stuff to talk about. His name is Chris. We have talked over the fence for years. He thinks my cancer may be contagious. He calls me counselor as I am the legal adviser for the 12 in his family. Truth be told he is a bestie friend. His mom is old, Alice. ‘ bout 94 or 95. Don’t know and do not care as she is one of my 10 year old’s best friends. We really stink about age in these here parts. I am told I am old. Kids at the school say I am the grandpa and we all laugh. Funny I just picked up my 90 pounder son with one arm. Fully serious there. I also picked up my wife with one arm. I do not do sissy pants.

Not doing so well and that be fine. You might as well pick me up and toss me garbage wise. Them folks say I am fully at risk. Something about getting a disease and the dying from it. Sounds right to me. So I smacked a ball over two hundred and fifty feet yetterday. I did that with a three iron. Some folks do not engage in ridiculous sporting constructs.

I act old sometimes. Seriously like an old man who can barely walk. Life is fun. It is just that life’s aches and pains hit me hard. Then my young son complains and I have to jump to commands and act like a 20 year old. Hells bells and Cocker shells, both are just an act. That is the deal of love.

I love life. It has hit me hard sometimes. Silly old life. I act. A born performer. I can act sick or all well. They are an act. Do not look this way for reality. I make my own. My wife likes me all old and crotchety and my some wants to play some ball. Careful not to show one the other. Or is that the other one not the other? I am just the actor in this play called life.

Back in the day I was the producer and the director and the actor. I gave that up. Just being the actor is plenty enough. My son says I walk into a room and everyone knows me. Nope. I walk into a room and act like I know everybody. I act at being a socialite. I do not belong there. I am the actor.

We tow a line. Not really us but our bravado. Have you ever been happy at a funeral? Well I am that way. I get uninvited. Death just seems like an allowance to be free to me. I got invited to eulogize the other month. My friend killed himself. I figure the cousins needed an uplift. Well there I was. Celebrating my main man. Oh baby I was crying like nobody’s business. And I was touting about the time I got him to crawl up into the lemon tree. I just cannot do a bummer. O’ I try but my sons just laugh at me.

Funny and strange deal. I have to act at being old and sad but loving and happy or joyful comes altogether natural. Someone once told me “Dierker you cannot change you stripes”. I was dying and trying to play the juice harp. Now I am back to the clarinet. I just cannot do the miserable. That feller is over there somewhere.

The clock says it is 4:30 AM. I believe it, although it does seem to lie sometimes. Perhaps I shall go back to bed. Oh my the dreams I can conjure up. Can you do that? I can. I lay my head down and set my intentions toward a thought and they come to pass in a dream. Now my erstwhile shrink for free says that is nuts. It does not work that way.

And now you think this article is going nowhere? Hang on.

Peace be with you. No really they say that in church. Well that is a fine notion and I wholeheartedly agree. Inside I just do not get it. Of course I say to myself. I mean really? You folks don’t have peace with you? Yikes, that would scare me to death. I reckon I just have peace. Not “peace” but peace. Boy does that piss people off. Walk into a shit storm and smile and it really irritates them that want you on their side.

I was a trial lawyer and ate people up for a snack. I loved ripping them a new one and reveled in causing destruction. Reaping havoc and destroying reputations was my stock and trade. Seems I woke up before dawn and started planning how I would discredit people. Now that is sick stuff. Rip off their head and ---- down their throat. Depraved? Yes.

So then I went into preaching. A reproach of me and a reflection of a new attitude. It did not work out after several years. Seems to me churches too often engage in more than love. Do not get me wrong I love churches, but now I shelter in place and socially distance. Went to a bible study and it was cancelled?

Pretty good to shelter in place. Pretty good to social distance. I still do not know what those mean.

I am finding love. Not with hugs and kisses or handshakes but by picking up the danged phone. You can see how I write. I have nothing to say. But those folks on the other end have plenty to say and it is my entire pleasure to hear it.

This love thing transcends this virus thing. We just have to adapt. Phone is cool. Emails are cool. Just prayers are cool and I even like just sending good intentions. Check this out; close your eyes and think about someone else. You do not even need to do another thing. Just that little bitty not so gritty “thinking of” is good. Wave. I walk a whole lot. Waving at folks is an awesome show of brotherly love.

Now it has gotten to the point where things are stressed. Just get over it. You cannot change it.

But yes indeed we can. I strongly suggest listening. Listening is loving. “Hey son, how you doing” and then shut the heck up. God seldom talks, God just listens. We should follow his example.