Dodging The Rona in These DC Streets

Hey y’all,

I know it’s been a while since I last wrote something. I’ve been in a period of transition and, as many of you already know, I have resigned from the Foreign Service (another blog post for another time).

Before I move on to my next professional adventure (also another blog Post coming soon), I have been eating and praying and loving all up on myself to give my mind, my body and my spirit the recharge they so richly deserve.

As part of my time off, I hung out with one of my favorite people on the planet, my sister Tasia! My sister, the actrice, came up to DC to attend a screening of 61st Street but found time to hang out with little ol’ me!

Im thankful we got to hang out in some pretty exclusive (read: no strangers) spaces, but we had a few outings in public that have me rethinking if I want to come outside ever again.

Now, we (the global we) seem to be at the tail end of the pandemic and I understand that most people want to just “go back to normal.” But mama is not pleased with how cavalier folks seem to be not only with their own health, but with mine.

To wit, my sister and I were at a hotel restaurant having an expensive but mediocre breakfast when the woman seated at the table next to ours began to sneeze.

Y’all … this heiffa didn’t cover her mouth, she didn’t excuse herself, and she didn’t even have the decency to look bashful as she cast a million germs across the room. Now, Tasia and I were in the middle of a conversation when it happened the first time. I paused mid sentence to clutch my pearls, but then continued chatting with Tasia.

A few minutes later, we were literally in the middle of discussing privilege in America as the woman “achoo’ed” again, once again failing to observe common COVID prevention measures. Our waiter happened to be there with us as she sneezed. Without skipping a beat, I asked for us to be moved to a different table. In my peripheral vision, I could sense that this woman, who had so accosted everyone with her lack of manners and sense of social responsibility, seemed a bit taken aback by us asking to move.

To that person and anyone else who is so keen to shirk the vestiges of the measures we took to save lives during the pandemic and revert to what you knew as “normal,” I would simply remind them that the pandemic isn’t actually over yet. It’s always been appropriate to cover your mouth when sneezing. You should’ve been washing your hands after using the restroom and I will thank you to continue doing so moving forward irrespective of Rona’s machinations.

I want folks to go out and have fun, but let’s take better care of ourselves and each other, ok?

Also, please go check out 61st Street on AMC!

Please and thank you,

the trendy one