Independence Day 2020

it is 7:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  i just walked the dogs.  i hope this will be the last run of the night.  i broke all the corona rules today.  i joined the Sephardi family for a barbecue, downstairs.  i sat outside in the sun for hours.  i interacted with their little 2 1/4 year old granddaughter.  the last time she saw me, she was afraid of me and cried.  she also couldn't pronounce my name.  i think she called me zilba.  she is definitely, no longer afraid of me and she knows how to say my name, now.  i didn't wear my mask all day long.  there were eight of us altogether.  i am afraid i didn't always keep my social distancing, either.

i know i do not belong to this herd and perhaps i shouldn't have hung out with them but i just felt like it.  i pray that i won't get the dreaded rona.  they have all been, pretty much in quarantine, for the duration.  i didn't hug the child nor did i touch her.  after she handed me things, i  got up and washed my hands.  i didn't wear gloves.  there were other families celebrating on the block, too.  there was music blasting and it was quite noisy.  there are currently no cases of corona in the safed hospital.  they have closed their corona ward.  i took a chance today.  i haven't felt this alive in months. 

i miss my grandchildren.  this was a taste of being with them.  i brought down the baby lego and all the fake plastic food and plastic toy pots and pans.  i guess time will tell if this was the worst thing i  have done during the quarantine.  i ate like there was no tomorrow.  i love a good barbecue.  i even had a pita and French fries.  i'm completely done.  i will sleep well tonight.

i hope my friends will not be angry with me.  i will be more careful tomorrow.  as i walked up the street with the dogs; a large family of 8 suddenly passed me by.  i had to restrain the boy dog from lunging at the kids.  i was also a bit freaked out to pass all of them on the street.  i think they were 6 kids plus 2 parents.  no one was wearing a mask.  i know it is totally illogical that i was freaked and quite ironic, after being around a family all day long.