Remember-No Touching

The City of Fresno has extended the “shelter in place” order through the of May. It’s hard to believe we have to endure at minimum another six weeks of watching these events unfold from the confines of our homes. I’ve said before (probably multiple times) that each day there is a removal of our civil rights and the economy takes another step towards not being able to recover. I used to own a business and I remember if I had one day of minimal revenue then I was stressed out. I can’t imagine weeks or months with zero income. Added to the social distancing requirements are the new guidelines being propagated by our government leaders: hand shaking most likely will be a thing of the past, $1,000.00 fines or arrest are the normative enforcement action for those choosing to be outside, most cities require citizens to wear masks outside, shopping trips are being frowned upon, and some local politicians are asking us to “snitch” on our neighbor or other persons for not practicing social distancing. 

There are fewer and fewer ways to go outside and be active besides taking a walk in your neighborhood: federal and local parks, parking lots, trails, campgrounds, lakes, athletic fields, school grounds, beaches, oceans (no surfing), and any other communal outdoor activity have been closed to the public. I don’t know if I’m consciously trying to defy orders or just wanting to be outside with friends on a warm sunny day; either way, I chose to golf at Sherwood Golf Course in Tulare County. Most golf courses are closed. I don’t know why this one is open; I guess it depends on the County and who defines or applies the term “essential” to the business. Anyway, I arrived around 2:00PM for a 2:20PM tee time and was taken aback by the sheer number of golfers on the course. It was difficult finding a parking place and for a moment, I sat in the driver’s seat of my car contemplating whether I should turn around and leave or stay and interact with all the people. I felt anxious, nervous that I was doing something wrong, and guilt gnawed at my insides knowing other persons were stuck inside their homes adhering to the statewide orders. After approximately ten minutes of battling this mix of emotions, I concluded I was doing nothing inherently wrong. I checked in at the golf shop which was moved outside to minimize contact and I learned that on a normal day prior to the pandemic the golf course had 80 golfers whereas today had 360 golfers! The golf course was buzzing with activity. Golf carts had been removed from operation due to sanitation concerns so everyone was forced to walk the course, slowing the pace down. Furthermore, the overwhelming amount of conversations occurring at one time was exacerbated by the elevated voice levels because everyone was trying to give each other six feet of space. 

Overall, the shadow of the pandemic marred fully enjoying the golf experience; it is inescapable and undermines my feeble attempts to connect with my past life. For example, my friend made a good shot and I slapped the back of his right shoulder in excitement. I immediately withdrew my hand in horror knowing that I had made a massive mistake. He didn’t say anything but there is no touching (ever) and the extent to which we abide by this societal rule is now set in stone.

At the conclusion of golfing, I felt a sense of relief driving home knowing that it was over. The entire time, I knew my family was quarantined at home while I was out trying to indulge my need for social interaction. As I walked up to the front door, removed my shoes prior to entering (they say COVID-19 can be on the soles of your shoes), splashed hand sanitizer from the bottle hanging on the door handle onto my hands, entered the house, and removed my clothes to be washed (they say COVID-19 can live on your clothes for an extended amount of time); I finally relaxed and settled into the couch to watch movies with my family.