Blog Masks are not for everyone

Remember when coronavirus started making news? We were told a good thing which was to wash your hands often. When I grew up both parents and teachers not only taught the importance of hand washing but made us kids do so after playing outside, before eating, etc.

Roll down the years and someone got the bright idea that this simple sanitary practice wasn’t fair to everyone or some such nonsense and this simple practice that saves lives and health went by the wayside. Now it is back and I hope this will once again become a normal practice in homes and schools.

The other thing we were told was not to touch our faces. It was like being told not to think of a pink elephant and all you can think of is that pink elephant. Telling us not to touch our faces suddenly made us self-conscious about how much we touched our faces. Hard to stop.

Then the “wear a mask” mandate came down and everyone hurried to find something to over their nose and mouth. In certain cases this was voluntary, but more and more it became a mandate. I have watched those who wear masks. Many are constantly touching their faces pulling the mask up, adjusting the nose covering or the strings that fit around the ears.

When you consider this is supposed to be sanitary protection, then the whole idea goes south. After leaving the business establishment, some throw the mask in their pockets, purses, or in the glove compartment until the “next time” it is required.

Doesn’t take long for these masks to become saturated with germs. If you wear masks, for your well-being, please keep them clean

There are enterprises who geared up to make this product and now entice potential customers to wear a mask in the privacy of their homes or in an open-air park. Really! Where ads used to sell their products with sex, now products use fear.

Many who mandate masks have little concept of the unintended consequences. Very young children should NOT be forced to wear a mask. They are just learning how to breathe. Others report getting dizzy trying to wear a mask for even short periods of time. Many with asthma or other breathing problems simply cannot wear a mask for physical health reasons. Those with claustrophobia problems suffer panic attacks.

Some, like medical personnel and those showing symptoms, should probably wear masks—short term. According to the CDC some definitely should not. These include Children under age 2. Anyone who has trouble breathing. Anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated or can’t remove a face mask without help.

Some medical and government acknowledge this problem, but many do not. I’m one who cannot wear a mask. Add to panic and breathing problems, consider how am I to wear this mask.

I need someone else to put it on me. Someone to adjust it when needed and someone to remove it. In an era of self-distancing that doesn’t work. I don’t go get my hair cut because those who go to a business to get their hair cut have to wear a mask. How does that work?

Many of today’s restrictions make little sense and have more to do with assumptions of good rather than scientific or medical proof. I can’t help but wonder about the balance between drawbacks and benefits. Now we’re afraid to go outside and simply breathe fresh air.

I’ll be glad when we put them away for good. (Real, not fake data comparing the states and countries who masked against those that didn’t. The result. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE. Wearing a mask is a fairy tale, not science. Don’t you wonder why so many authoritarian organizations including medical establishments try to prolong the usage?

© 2020 Carolyn R Scheidies
Published in Kearney Hub 7/6/2020
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Blog Bio Spring, Virus and Relief

My 70th birthday. January 2020. Keith in the wheelchair.

It has been a long year for Keith and I. January 2019 began with the death of my brother Paul. The rest of the year centered around dealing with all the aspects of his loss. This year was a new beginning. We got one, but not what we expected. Early January, Keith slipped on a patch of ice and down he went.

Thankfully there were individuals who helped him. After a visit to a specialist, Keith got the news. He’d broken his ankle which would take 6-8 weeks to heal. During that time he wore a huge boot for protection and was told to absolutely stay off of it.

For the first several weeks he used a wheelchair, then a walker, and finally a cane and a brace instead of the boot. He’s still using the cane. If walking on uneven ground, he is still supposed to wear his brace for extra protection. It was exciting when he could drive again. We could go shopping, could go out to eat--and we could attend church services again. (I don’t drive.)

That lasted maybe 3 weeks or so. Then the nation was immersed in trying to stop the pandemic of Covid19. Social distancing and staying home became the new watchwords. Who were the most vulnerable? We were. Not only are Keith and I in the target age group for getting the virus, our immune systems are compromised.

After spending the first part of the year at home due to Keith’s injury, now we stayed home to stay safe and well. While Keith is an introvert and is fine with his books, iPad, and computer, I have discovered I’m not the introvert I thought I might be.

Yes, I like alone time. Yes, my work is a solitary pursuit. But as much as I enjoy alone time, I also need interaction with people. I also do better with sunny skies rather than with overcast skies, gloom, and rain. With the warming weather, just going outside, standing in the sunlight, and breathing in deeply helps.

I am thankful warm weather is arriving. I am also thankful this happened at a time technology can help us keep connected. Our church started pre-recording services for Sunday worship. Wednesdays, Zoom helps us stay in touch with our church Fellowship and Prayer time. Phone calls continue from family and friends. Email also helps us keep in touch. We can even meet, with caution, in small groups. 

I really covet FaceTime with our daughter and two youngest grandkids--Ellery (3) and Ezekiel (1). Like our daughter, Ellery is more of an extrovert and misses time with friends. Now, she asks her mom to talk with Gramma and Grampa via video. It is wonderful to be able to see and hear them.

It also makes me long for the day we can get into our car and drive to Omaha and give long hugs. Meanwhile, restrictions are slowly being relaxed. Even that leads to frustration and the urge to complain. Instead, we can do something different. We can count our blessings and reach out to those who need a word of encouragement.

We can pray for those making decisions that they will make wise ones. We can pray for the safety of medical personnel and we can pray virus cases will continue to decrease. Further, we can love and continue to spend quality time with our families. Finally, we can give thanks that this, too, shall pass. Use wisdom and stay safe.

© 2020 Carolyn R Scheidies
Published in Kearney Hub 5/18/2020
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Blog bio Surprise on Mother’s Day

My family moved to Kearney in 1969 for one reason—so I could continue my college education. Though my father was a pastor and there was no church of our denomination in Kearney, my parents chose to move here. That must have been rather scary.

What would a pastor with two kids do in Kearney? (My older sister was married and lived in another state.)

We settled on KSC, now the University of Nebraska at Kearney, because they had a journalism program and because, before the ADA regulations they were willing to see I made it to my classes. (I was in a wheelchair I could not wheel by myself.)

Dad found a job and we settled into living in Kearney. In fact, my folks fell in love with the area and were even talking about retiring here. Then something happened. My dad received a call from a church in, of all places Ontario, Canada. He was known in the area because his first churches were in Ontario, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

My folks discussed the situation. I was doing well in college, my brother Paul was in high school. They decided Dad would go north on his own, though Mom and I went up the next summer to stay with him. (Paul stayed home to work.)

Dad came for visits when he could. Even though Mom missed Dad, she seldom complained about the situation. With Mother’s Day coming up, I knew her heart’s desire was to spend time with Dad. How could Paul and I make it special for Mom? Turns out, we didn’t have to.

At the time, we’d rented a large house south of the fairgrounds. Since I couldn’t do stairs, Mom fixed up the old laundry room for me, which had a bathroom off the room.

My parent’s bedroom was upstairs, but often Mom slept on the downstairs couch feeling uncomfortable leaving me downstairs alone. When someone knocked on the door in the middle of the night, she was sure of her decision.

She hurried into my room. “Carolyn, someone is at the door.”

She wrung her hands. “What do I do?” (There had been some weird stuff going on in our neighborhood.)

I told her to peek through the curtains. She sucked in a breath and headed for the living room. Silence. Had I given the wrong advice? Then I heard a loud scream. Usually a scary sound, but I could tell this wasn’t a scream of terror. It was a scream of surprise and joy.

I threw off the covers and struggled into my wheelchair. A moment later, I understood as Dad’s arms surrounded me. He’d come home for one reason—to surprise Mom for Mother’s Day. He certainly did that.

This year visits will be few, far between and careful because of the virus. The difference between then and now is that even safe at home we’ll be able to see and interact with family—grandkids—using FaceTime. Dad provided Mom a special memory. This year, I don’t expect a visit, surprise or otherwise. Instead, I’ll make memories online.

If not in person, let your mom know you care with a card, a phone call, or an online chat. Maybe you won’t match Dad’s surprise, but you can reach out to let your mom know the important thing—you are thinking about her and love her.

Happy Mother’s Day!

© 2020 Carolyn R Scheidies
Published in Kearney Hub 5/4/2020
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For more on the author’s life read The Day Secretariat Won the Triple Crown