It’s been an eventful year. Unfortunately, I contracted the Covid flu last March. It was a harrowing experience that continues to threaten so many people worldwide. It has changed the way we live each day of our lives.

My bout with the virus can be described as relatively moderate. I had a low-grade fever and suffered from aches and pains for several days. I was confined to my bedroom where I slept 15 to 18 hours each day and ate all of my meals alone. One good thing is that I didn’t realize how dangerous the disease could be for someone my age, 70 plus. If I knew how vulnerable I was, I probably would have had a nervous breakdown on top of all the other terrible feelings I had at the time.

At one point, I complained to my wife that I felt trapped in my room. I was losing my mind being cooped up for such a long period of time. I should point out that I was also recuperating from a minor medical procedure, which necessitated taking some strong medication. So, besides feeling like hell, I had to deal with anxiety and reactions to the drugs, which was disquieting to say the least.

I persevered and tried to get back into a strong physical fitness regimen. Every day, I walked in the oppressive heat. And, I resumed my yoga practice, which included meditation and physical fitness. I worked diligently trying to relax and fight off the negativity that overwhelmed me. It all ended successfully for me, but Covid still threatens the world every day.

The disease is sinister and sneaky. It attacks and kills individuals that suffer from respiratory problems, auto-immune issues and other maladies such as diabetes and asthma. I’ve commented before on this blog that I’m surprised the virus has overwhelmed us, and we have been so unprepared to deal with it. Billions of dollars are spent on medical research each year. Why hasn’t concern about a virus that could wipe out the human race gotten more attention and research dollars?

In 1919, millions of people died from a similar pandemic. In 2020, medical experts were surprised and ineffective dealing with Covid. Is it possible that not enough money has been dedicated to virus research? Is political correctness getting in the way of allocating our research dollars towards the most dangerous threats?

Information dispersed to the public has been misleading, incorrect and downright harmful. How many times have medical experts changed their minds about this malady? Have the experts done a good job cataloging the disease? Kudos are warranted for drug companies that created vaccines in record time. But the simple process of distribution has been abominable.

There is no consensus about who should be inoculated first or second or third. We don’t know whether we can be re-infected with Covid. We really are unsure about whether the antibodies protect us after we contract the disease. We don’t know a lot of things including whether Covid will impact our lives in future years. We learned nothing from the pandemic that took place 100 years ago.

Our federal and state governments have failed us miserably. They botched the distribution of vaccines. About 1.5 million people have received two doses of the vaccine out of a total of 340 million in America. The vaccine has been available for 30 days. You do the math. It’s going to be a long time before everyone who wants to be vaccinated will be fully vaccinated. Bitter disputes between federal and state officials have messed up the process. One would think that the federal government should lead the charge given the severity of the pandemic.

The Democrat government is once again wasting time trying to denigrate Donald Trump. Their efforts should be directed at supporting our economy and getting vaccine into every American.

Every day, my wife and I discuss the return to normalcy. What does it mean? Will we once again dine inside restaurants, and not have to eat on the street in 30-degree weather? Will we be able to go to a movie or are we destined to watch films at home on next Netflix forever? Will our children be able to go to classrooms to learn again without the threat of contracting the virus? Will all the people who were furloughed regain their jobs and be able to support their families? Seems to me the vaccine is the first step, and we need to produce more vaccines as quickly as possible.

Another major issue is travel. My family is uncomfortable traveling on commercial flights domestically. Will foreign travel bounce back and be safe in the near future? Will Americans once again be able to visit London, Paris and Tokyo?

And finally, my heart goes out to those that have delayed weddings, birthday parties, religious ceremonies, christenings, anniversary get togethers etc.

I wish everybody good health, and if you are sick, a speedy recovery.