I've tried since George W Bush was elected to a second term to stay away from making overtly political statements on social media. Part has to do with my current role and previous roles that made being overtly political difficult. I remember working at Urban Peak and hurting for our clients when they learned the president didn't really care about helping those in poverty. I remember hurting when my friend in same sex relationship wouldn't be recognized as a married couple. I've felt so horrible for my friend while sitting in a position as a white, heterosexual female, middle/upper class, that I didn't think I could do much. Then, I got stung by a bee.
I've been afraid of "stingee insects" for a long time. Maybe I got it from my dad, maybe I got it from the fact that there are INSECTS THAT STAB YOU WITH SHIT! But the fear of insects was never a running fear.
I've been unwarrently comfortable running since COVID. The world was shut down and my office was closed. I was suddenly able to run in the morning and recover comfortably in my home. I run with a mask. My mask is a buff from Buff USA which has unwittingly supplied all of my COVID mask supplies since the pandemic. My mask unwittingly supplied this horror.
Frisbee was canceled, officially and unofficially a few times. I resigned to the fact in march that "things would look different". I accepted in June that Masters would be canceled. Recently there was an opportunity, 4v4 ultimate over Labor Day. Selfishly I was excited. Let's set a team, a women's masters team. Or a mixed masters team.
Then I thought through it. My dad. He almost died 3 years ago in June. Actually he did die, they EMTs saved him. We jokingly celebrate his new birthday on June 20th when he woke up from his medically induced coma he wasn't supposed to wake up from. The amazing first responders at the woodland fire department made sure of that.
He hasn't been able to do anything of much since then. He goes to Menards, with an N95 mask to buy thins that only him will send in the rebate for. He finally got go go back to rehab, but limited. And I wanted to visit. I realized I couldn't visit if I played in a frisbee tournament. I already know it's hard for me to visit knowing I have to go back to work at the State Capitol in a committee hearing with people who think this COVID issue is a hoax. I couldn't imagine playing frisbee and then exposing him to whatever I picked up counting "stall eight".
I want to see my mom and dad. I want to sit with them in their sun room and drink coffee. I want to poke fun at my dad over the 5000 piece puzzle I left him with in June. I want to sit out by the fire pit with my mom after I guessed at what beer I think she night like. I can't do that unless people wear masks and actually F*cking care.
I wear a mask when I run. I have since March. I wear a buff mask that I pull over my face when I run by people. Today I wore a mask. I was running and saw a bee fly directly in my my chest. At first I thought it went down my shirt. Then I felt a pain in my neck. I quickly "freaked/flayed out". I tore my buff off my neck and that included my ear phones and all. I knew I was stung. I shook out my Buff, a bee fell out. I bravely ran away. I made if home, it happened smack in the middle of my run my fastest relief was to run home. I got home, pulled an amazing stinger out of my neck, put ice on my neck, and cracked open a beer.
I ran home. I'm not allergic. I was fine, I have a very small welt on my neck. I'm lucky. I'm healthy.
So here is the thing. Trump made this COVID shit last this long, Trump is the reason I am worried about visiting my parents. Trump => Masks => Bees => Vote Biden/Harris.
