Germophobia

DAY 2

A few years back, when I was gainfully employed as an ESL teacher at the erstwhile Aspect International language school, my colleagues and I got into a hilarious debate about germs and hygiene in the staff-room. I believe I have mentioned before that both Craig and I err on the lax side when it comes to being germ-conscious. So the items on the table in the staff-room dispute were:

  • hand-washing, how often is necessary?
  • drink-sharing, if so, with whom?
  • soap-sharing, is it okay for a couple/family to share a bar of soap?

And the list went on. As it happens, there were several people present who were serious germophobes and were disgusted by the fact that I happily admitted to washing my hands only after bathroom visits, drinking out of the same glass as most people I know and not having any issues with using the same soap as my husband. There were those amongst us who never held onto escalator railings or subway poles and carried hand-sanitizer in their pockets. I’ve never subscribed to the belief that the world at large is coated with icky germs just lying in wait, ready to pounce. Never, that is, until now.

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Reprieve

I never saw a wild thing

sorry for itself.

A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough

without ever having felt sorry for itself.

– D.H. Lawrence

For those wondering about the long silence, don’t worry, everything is fine. Well, as fine as things can be in the current situation. Still trying to learn the lesson of living in the moment, impossible to be successful at it every day but there are days that feel good, and despite spending the entire day in the hospital, today has been a pretty good day.

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