Happy 4th! We have all been cooped up and are eager to get out and visit friends and loved ones, but are we practicing safe distancing? Should we really let our guards down this weekend, even if we’re only seeing family? With COVID-19 cases on the rise, Dr. Fauci and the members of his task team testified before the Senate Committee on Tuesday and stated “We need to emphasize the responsibility that we have both as individuals and as part of a societal effort to end the epidemic...We’ve got to get that message out, that we are all in this together. And if we are going to contain this, we’ve got to contain it together."
I’m sharing my recent experience at a local business in the Simsbury/Avon location on Bushy Hill Rd. As you all have seen, most stores in the Hartford County area are following the new protocol of social distancing and are making every effort to keep us safe. I was shopping at HomeGoods in Simsbury, following the store’s “one-way arrow,” when a customer coming the “wrong way” wanted to get by. I pointed the one-way direction of the arrow to this individual and, to my surprise, her hostile response was chilling: “I am just FINE!” as she purposely brushed against me to shove by. If we are all following rules and guidelines, why do certain people feel that they don’t have to? Are they above the law by refusing to obey and follow rules? Regulations and safety precautions are put in place to protect us and to keep us safe. If we don't unite and do our part together to fight this virus, this pandemic is never going to be over! Our local business owners are trying to stay afloat by tirelessly inventing safe ways to keep their doors open. I stopped by to see my friend Kris and Tony at Deco Nails in Simsbury today, and she tells me that they are only doing 30% of the business they used to. She said, “people are scared. I’m worried, Laurie”. When you live in quaint towns like Simsbury, Farmington, Canton, Burlington, and Avon CT, small businesses depend on us! As I said in my previous blog, before you place your next online order, think of how much local business owners give back to our communities. Once again, let's continue to shop local while following the guidelines set in place for our safety.
Let’s enjoy the 4th of July holiday weekend in a safe manner by exercising social distancing… As Helen Keller once said, "Alone we can do so little; Together we can do so much."
Happy Independence Day. Stay safe!
