COVID restrictions are about caring for others

Pierre Obendrauf/PostMedia News

       “Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking”, are words to live by, penned by H. Jackson Brown, Jr, author of the best-selling Life’s Little Instruction Book.

In these  COVID times, as I’ve come to call this phase of my life, character matters more than ever. We see a light being shone on it in the political arena as regions in many countries are facing elections for new leadership. The character of a leader tends to steer the behaviour of those being led. That’s why I”m glad I live in Canada, specifically, in New Brunswick, where people don’t have to work too hard to be WE people. Then there are those firmly entrenched in the ME zone with regard to adherence to wearing face masks. Actually, they’re more nose and mouth coverings, to prevent spread of  droplets from person to person. Droplets that may or may not carry the COVID virus. We cannot possibly know if we are carriers/spreaders.

This past Saturday, I was in the city, dividing my time between wheeling and walking.  While  uprightly mobile, my own mask in place, I encountered a mask-free woman with a man who was wearing one; I commented on the lack of nose and mouth covering. She said she couldn’t wear a mask and left it at that, as did I. She was not socially distanced from people around her, some of whom were also maskless. Many teens and younger people amongst them.

I’m not alone in wondering why so many are oppositional to wearing a mask. To use the “I have asthma,” or “I have a heart condition,”  among many rationales for non-compliance,  selfishly dismisses the rights of everyone else, particularly if non-compliance with mask-wearing is accompanied by zero social distancing.

I’ve read about the ‘face mask exemption cards’. Psst! They’re fake! I saw one online that was riddled with errors and had to chuckle. At least the author could have proofread before circulating hither and yon, which begs a question -  do medical exemptions for face masks really exist? As a matter of course, coverings should not be placed on children under age 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance. That’s reasonable.

Frankly, those who claim they can’t wear a mask for health reasons think they’re fooling the rest of us. They’re not! If they can wear a scarf over their face for seveal hours while outside in winter weather, they can sure as heck wear a covering for an hour or two in the mall or grocery shopping. Mutual respect is the order of the days ahead. The oppositional must accept that and just get on with their lives without making excuses for being boorish.

Though I’ve not consulted them, I’m sure that many health professionals would say that exemptions aren’t necessary. If one had serious burns on the face and covering it would cause pain, then of course, don’t wear a covering. That makes sense. But, with that, one must still socially distance.

  Treating others as we would like to be treated is a maxim that many of us learned at home before we even started our sit down and be still formal education. It concerns me, given I live in a province with more aging/senior citizens than young people, that those who are young are not being respectful of their elders. The press on COVID is clear. It is here for the long haul unless people start taking it seriously and function in a way that flattens the curve and reduces spread.

Many families have lost businesses due to COVID; they will struggle for many years to come, so it’s incumbent upon all of us to just stop making excuses for not ‘going along to get along’ so that we can, as a province and as a country, get ahead of this virus and contribute to economic recovery across communities. Only  when that happens will we be able to function with a greater degree of security that we are less at risk than several months ago. To those who continue to ‘push the envelope’, your behaviour puts everyone at risk. You have to know that. You have to accept that reality of this virus. It respects no one. Not even you.

As we move beyond our bubbles and expand our travels in and around this province and others, we absolutely must practice social distancing and mask wearing. It’s really not that difficult when we realize that doing just those two things ensures that we can stay ‘open for business’. Think about what that means for your family in the long term.

Carla Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese. She can be reached via email at carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca

COVID isn’t going anywhere. Wear a mask!

Photo: Brandon Harder/Postmedia

       A recent scary headline - “Melbourne woman 'smashes police officer's head into concrete when told to wear a face mask”, brings me to reference of my last column, which drew the ire of two readers, one a ‘usual suspect’ who seems to be oppositional about everything, if his comments about mask wearing were any indication.

He called me ‘Doctor Fear’. I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on the internet nor in my column. My late father was a doctor; an anaesthesiologist in Bath, and his colleague, a surgeon, and childhood neighbour with 4 sons, two of whom are doctors, would be right up there with my Dad, in opposition to all the naysayers dismissing the importance of masks. 

  Masks and social distancing are VITAL if we are to get control of the spread of COVID and people need to accept that compliance is expected from everyone. No one is suggesting that masks be worn for 12-18 hours/day. Far too many people are taking the ‘violation of rights’ to an extreme without giving thought to the reality that in NOT wearing a mask, they impact the health and safety of those around them. Naysayers are committing crimes against store/shop/restaurant owners and staff who are attempting to enforce public safety rules meant to protect all.  Why? Everyone wants to emotionally, physically, mentally and financially survive the impact of COVID. Financial survival supports all the rest and when naysayers bully staff at their usual places of food shopping, dining and other venues, they affect the lives of everyone, not just the person at whom they’re screaming. Their rage is misplaced and they really should consider seeking counsel. To be that out of control is very telling that they are struggling with the impact of COVID, taking it out on anyone and everyone. If the news coming from the US is any indication, service people are getting seriously injured just trying to do their job. The violence against them must stop. Local police need to press charges each and every time, with ZERO  passes with a verbal warning. Not enough! Courts must levy fines against violent persons inflicting physical harm on people who are struggling to cope  in these very challenging times.

He who left the misinformed comment  regarding my last column functions under the misapprehension that only a doctor should be recommended mask wearing during a pandemic. Hmm! His doctor recommended no mask for him for health reasons. He didn’t go into them and I wasn’t going to ask. The point is, if he can’t wear a mask, he CAN socially distance. It’s about thinking, developing a plan and being respectful. If he cannot do that, then the majority, I’m sure, would suggest he just stay home and have all his needs met remotely. Too much negative energy drags everyone down during these stressful times; we must always be aware of that and act accordingly.

Another person, a female, suggested that I wasn’t medically qualified. There’s that that ‘you’re not a doctor’ reference again. What I am is a person who reads, who accepts the science associated with the course of the COVID virus and its pandemic status. 

I function within parameters that will keep me and those around me safe. This woman was advocating the use of  hydroxychloroquine zinc and zithromas. There is little support for the efficacy of Hydroxychloroquine and the majority of clinicians strongly discourage its use. But people will listen to wrong voices of those who are not in the medical profession and take that drug without fully appreciating what it may do to them if they have any comorbidities. For myself, living with cardiac defect, there’s no way I’d ever take it and risk cardiac event death.

Mask wearing should not cause such violence. Those who are so oppositional must look to the why of their behaviour; they’re afraid and they need to admit it. They also need to acknowledge that those around them are afraid as well and lashing out does far more harm to everyone than they seem to comprehend. When a mask violator beats in the face of the person serving him coffee because he didn’t wear a mask and she  quits her job, what does he think happens next? That woman is out of income that supported her family. The coffee shop has to fill her job. The cycle of abuses continue as panicked patrons with a misguided sense of their own importance to the exclusion of all else puts everyone at greater risk. Community response to mask violation must be swift; so too,  action against people violating the rights of those enforcing the laws must also be impactful.

Mask ON!

Carla Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese. She can be reached via email at carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca

Wear a mask, save lives

Kevin King/Postmedia Network

One thing is clear in this age of COVID  — if we are to get a handle on the pandemic, which is raging out of control all over the world, we MUST wear a mask. Each and every one of us over the age of 2 years have a duty to comply. Children can get the virus but they, as potential asymptomatic carriers, can also spread it; children under 2 should not have their mouths and noses covered.  Practice hand-washing hygiene with them as part of personal grooming at home.  Encourage youngsters to keep their hands away from eyes, nose and mouth. 

As for adults, wear a damned mask! Simple. Stop the whining. Stop the excuses, Stop going on about it being a violation of your rights. What about the rights of the ‘medically fragile’ or ‘at risk’.  When you’re milling about at the malls without a  mask you can’t know how many others you might unwittingly infect. As for myself, given the seriousness of our current world wide health situation, I have a right to expect places of business to be safe when I frequent them. Though I’m proactive with regard to  my own health and wellness, I am considered ‘at risk’ because of pre-existing conditions.

Again, just to be very clear. None of  us is special. None of us in immune to the virus and none of us can say with certainty that we won’t unwittingly pass it to someone else or many people, cycling the virus  even further out of control. Who’s to say that we aren’t silent spreaders and because of that, we infect many people, some of whom will die. That’s the reality of this insidious virus. It has no respect for one’s station in life. None.

The words of Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, resonate — “I don’t know how to explain to you that you should care for other people”

Via a Facebook post, my sister-in-law recounted a troubling scene. She was in a convenience store where there were approximately 20 people not practicing social distancing, except those lined up at the cash. The man in front of her was still in his EMS uniform, NOT wearing a mask. That very person would be the one who loads patients onto stretchers for transport to hospital, probably sitting beside them during the ambulance ride. How many times did he do that in the course of a single day, with stops for beverage pick-up in between?  How many similarly unmasked people did he encounter? Silent spreaders? People already infected but not knowing? People presenting with early symptoms, such as a cough, but still going out? 

Ambulance New Brunswick would do well to issue a binding directive to all employees at every level of care. Violating contact and care rules could result in suspension without pay. Hits to the wallet tend to get attention and correct behaviour. For some it takes multiple cash withdrawals before they ‘get it’.

Now, about those pesky masks! Just stop it about the masks. They SAVE lives. The folks moaning and groaning about them need to just get over themselves and look at the bigger picture. It’s not like they’re forced to wear a mask every waking hour. Wearing the mask is about respecting those around us. We instruct our children to be kind, to obey safety rules, to obey rules of conduct at gathering places for sporting activities. So, too, we must obey the laws of the land as they pertain to mask wearing during a global health crisis.

  Business owners are now finding themselves acting as mask police. Patrons of their stores have a DUTY to respect the rules of establishments where there a mask order in place. Their ability to put food on the table and pay bills is at risk when bullies won’t play by the rules. Violators of mask mandate ARE bullies. They can spin it any way they like but they need to understand this — by not wearing a mask, they punish themselves, too.  How can that be more important than respecting the person who sells them a coffee and doughnut? 

Stay safe. Be kind. WEAR a mask.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese. She can be reached via email at carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca

Use COVID to rethink teaching, parenting

        COVID-19 has affected children in ways that will have impact on their daily lives, ongoing education and psychosocial development in the larger world. It’s critical that mechanisms be developed that will provide relief for their stress and a place to put all that energy; some of it nervous and anxiety producing.

Take it outside! On the streets where they live. With sidewalk games; socially distanced story time with children reading to each other or telling stories, each one taking a turn to make the wordy adventure grow. A great learning and teaching tool. And it’s fun!

Even learning the times table can be done outside ; an old-fashioned slate and chalk will take care of business.  Play marbles! Develop a routine of exercises that contribute to health and wellness; a physical education class outside in the fresh air. Think of the possibilities!

I recall growing up in Bath, New Brunswick, #7 of 8 children, when being outside for hours each day after school was the norm. Of course, we didn’t have lots of television and there certainly was no internet or malls! In the words of Mama Cass, we had to “make your own kind of music”

Though classrooms in the age of COVID may be smaller, distanced and lacking all the things children have come to know in the 4 walls setting, outdoor learning may actually be a  blessing in disguise; the proverbial silver lining. Some children just aren’t ready for the sit down and sit still regimen that a classrom enviroment requires, especially those who’s social skills are lacking. They struggle. Play dates save the day. Outside, with a group of age related peers mixed with a few older children to show them how to do stuff, saves the play. Mistakes will be made; that’s part of the process, but with them is learning. What to do and what not to do. Block play parties with kids interacting in groups, moving in and out of their circles on the block also boosts confidence as the anxious child learns it’s okay to be worried and a bit nervous. Lots of children are. 

Today, in these COVID times, parents could pool financial resources to purchase equipment that would be shared, set up in various yards that have  appropriate space. A community work in progress that could go on for years as children grow and mature.

COVID has tested the resolve and patience of so many parents who struggled with home schooling children of various ages. Make no mistake! It’s a challenge at the best of times and gave them a whole new appreciation for what a classroom teacher of 15-20 children does day after day through a full school year. It’s exhausting.

The impact on children with special needs is astronomical; many of them used to get several hours/day of therapies and learning activies per day. That’s gone. Those about to age out are in jeopardy.

Children  prone to outbursts actually do much better in an outside learning environment with less ‘rules’; they ridge on classroom rules because they lack self-discipline. Sometimes, parents just couldn’t cope with the ‘wild child’ and decided to let the teacher  handle things. That’s wrong and it’s not fair. Parenting classes are available and offer guidance for even the most difficult child. Consistency is critical.

As parents step back, they’ll find that the childen will arrange their own play dates after school, negotiating what they’ll  do, learning to take turns as leader. Diplomats in the making. 

The COVID curriculum has a lot of potential as teachers, parents and community leaders move forward to ensure health and safety for all. Children have come out from behind smartphones and tablets and other devices of current communication and are learning to use their voice and their words to share ideas and intent. Technology becomes a facilitator of interactions not a replacement for them.

The ‘sit still and learn this’ model has been  partially sidelined for now. Frankly, I don’t think that’s a bad thing as this change of scene gives the students lost in the shuffle an opportunity  to shine, to show their stuff and to get comfortable enough in their own skin to rise above any particular challenges that may have held them  back within  four walls.

Let’s not gripe about what COVID took from us. Instead let’s look to how we can adapt our daily living to meet the challenges of ensuring our children are safe, well and happy while learning what they need to be learning to compete on the world stage.

Stay safe and wear a mask. Don’t litter!

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese. She can be reached via email at carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca

A day in the life — COVID-19 style

Dan Janisse/Postmedia News

       Several days ago, I went to the city, for an eye exam, brunch,  and grocery shopping. Each stop involved various components of social distancing, a phenomenon that is going to be around for some time to come; to be safe, we are obliged to accept this new way of conducting daily life. Wearing a mask is NOT that difficult, folks. Not wearing one risks lives, maybe our own. 

That being the case, is it absolutely vital that each and every one of us observe the protocols set out by the Department of Health. That is our DUTY as citizens of the world!

At the eye doctor, I walked in on my crutches, masked. A quick stop at the  hand sanitizing station. Done. Eye exam done. I get to spend more money; new lenses! On the way out, another shot of sanitizer and a scrub of the hands. Then to Vogue Optical. I was allowed to pass through the door between the two businesses, a concession to my mobility disorder. I always appreciate it when I am able to conserve energy with the help of others. Being a frugal Scot, I recycled the frames for the 3rd, or is it the 4th script change. In a few weeks I’ll be seeing a whole new world. No, I won’t sing!

Next, off to enjoy brunch. Kudos to staff at Pizza Delight who diligently wiped down tables, chairs and booth seats as they were vacated. It seemed so strange to be dining at lunch time without the usual banter coming from several tables at once. My friend commented that the outings are no longer fun. I had to agree. Is what we enjoyed for decades gone forever?

Off to the grocery store — I’m concerned about the complacency with which so many of the young function. No longer can they think themselves invincible when they’re out and about because what they do from now on until COVID is gone, impacts everyone  around them as well as everyone not around them. COVID doesn’t distinguish. It attacks the most vulnerable first, but it can and does attack the seemingly healthy high school football player or the yoga-practicing ballet dancer. COVID doesn’t discriminate between genders.

Littering the highways and waterways with discarded masks and gloves has got to STOP. Wildlife is struggling to survive at the best of times and for us supposedly intelligent humans to destroy their homes is cruel and inhumane. We have a DUTY to protect our environment, so that it will continue to provide us with so many of the good things in life, most notably enjoying all the beauty it brings to our lives. We take photographs of flower, of birds, of bears and deer. What are we thinking when we litter the places where they live and hunt for food? That makes no sense. Just stop it!

COVID-19 has altered so much of how we live and what we are able to do and what we are no longer able to do. It’s a huge adjustment, that’s for sure.  But one thing is clear — so long as people don’t follow the rules and wander around without wearing a mask and without observing the rules of social distancing, COVID cases will rise. More people will die. Will the next one or the one after that or the two after that be people we know?  Perhaps. Do we want to be THAT person who didn’t wear a mask or maintain distance? 

Pushy, needy, greedy ME people are challenged by rules at the best of times but COVID-19 has shone a light on their deficiencies to purposeful and effective interpersonal interactions.  Do they  have it within themselves to make changes? For themselves  and for those around them? For those with whom they come in contact on a daily basis?

In doing our part and not becoming complacent we can ensure that as businesses reopen and a level of normalcy to daily living returns; we can ensure it stays that way by OBEYING the rules of social distancing and mask wearing.

To reiterate, masks are CRITICAL to limit/eliminate spread. That cannot be stressed enough. In not doing our part, we are risking the lives of every single person in our community. That is the reality of our current situation. We truly are in this together.

As more and more businesses open and more street vendors attached to eat-in restaurants  pop up to  recover their lockdown losses, it is important for us to strictly adhere to ALL rules that each of them outline for us. They have to earn a living to support their families just as we do and one person steps outside the rules, others will follow, thinking it’s okay. It’s not!

Tomorrow’s a new day. Make it a safe one. Wear a mask.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese. She can be reached via email at carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca

Memorializing pets who have passed away

Mr. Digby Rockwell, the feisty Australian Silky Terrier

 (8 May 2003 - 5 June 2020)

Do pet obituaries belong in the paper alongside notices of the passing of  people? Hmm!

Ask me and I’ll say yes! To assign value to an animal's life actually enriches our own. The true friend of animals great and small would never for a moment consider doing them harm and anyone who injures an animal has a broken moral compass. Many are damaged souls with deep seated emotional problems that play out in acts of violence towards animals as well as other humans, but that’s a discussion for another time.

Understandably, there would be many who would say that an obituary for a dog, a cat, a turtle or a hamster has no place in the newspaper on a page where the passing of humans,  fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles were listed.

Stop and think about this for a moment. Many of those who died very possibly had a dog, a cat, a turtle or a hamster; creatures that they loved and to whom they provided daily care. How often do we see reference to a Fluffy or a Clancy or a Ben in the obituary of Mr. Jones or Mrs. Smith? The  companion animals left behind when their human passes away do, indeed, feel the loss. Unlike humans, they’re not able to express grief in words, instead acting out anxiety, sadness and distress in physical ways — not eating, not sleeping or sleeping too much, destroying things like shoes and pillows. Some will even lose house training and soil indiscriminately but rarely where they sleep.

Because they openly announce that a pet was part of a family, bringing legitimacy to mourning the pet as a family member, obituaries for animals push against what defines ‘family’ in ways that may offend some people. 

Look at the broader implications. Newspapers featuring pet obituaries are actually contributing to the health of the community, particularly with the senior populations for whom pets were a significant part of daily lives. Those isolated by circumstance rely on their pet as an emotional connection that replaces the human ones they’ve lost; children moved thousands of miles away,  a spouse has died, ability to get out and about easily is difficult and they don’t want to impose on friends, local family or neighbours. So they ‘hole up’ with their steadfast canine or feline companion.

 Across this province and across the country, many have experienced pet loss but don’t share about it, feeling that it’s silly, or that people would laugh at them with the totally insensitive “he was only a dog.” For those whose companion dog died, whether through old age, accident or disease, Barkley or Ben was never “ only a dog”.

In this age of modern technology with with access to all manner of information, how many of us  googled the name of a celebrity dog; Lassie, perhaps — played by Pal, the Rough Collie. Go ahead. I know you want to.

There are lots of online venues where people freely share about their pet when he passes away, Sites such as Rainbow Bridge can give others a chance to see the love you have for your dog. Equally important is that someone who is struggling with the grief over the loss of a pet may find comfort in it as well. And so, I share with you now.

In Loving Memory of Mr. Digby Rockwell (8 May 2003 - 5 June 2020): Mr. D, an Australian Silky Terrier crossed the Rainbow Bridge  after running the show here at Chez Rockwell for the past 13  of his 17 years. A refined little hairy gentleman, he provided many years of companionship to the crazy old baker lady. In recent years, Digger tolerated  the rambunctious Maltese, Miss Lexie, who stole his toys and I think, a bit of his doggy heart.

Mr. Digby got his start in Quebec, though his 2nd language was not French but Yorkie yap, given he was a cross between the Yorkshire Terrier and the Cairn Terrier. Sadly, that beginning was in a puppy mill.

In 2003, he was purchased from a Montreal pet store by a woman who clearly didn't 'get' the terrier attitude. They came to New Brunswick, but he was removed from her home, finding his way to me through my vet, in November of 2007, just days after I said good-bye to Mr. Jake, the Cairn Terrier. Pre-ordained? I think it was!

It was only fitting that, at the end, Dr. Shawn Smith of the Main Street Vet Clinic in Fredericton would help Mr. Digby on his way since it was through his clinic  that the D-man  and I were glued together.

Losing a pet is never easy, but Mr. Digby told me in many little ways that it was time to go. I would have been selfish to let him stay a day longer than he could.

Rest In Peace, little man.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese. She can be reached via email at carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca

Caring for ourselves during COVID-19

My friend Kathi with a pepper to be pickled

What would make you want to care for another person? Love? A sense of responsibility? Cash? In reality, all  could be motivators, but in these times, the first two are stressed when the third, the cash, the resources, is lacking.

During  the COVID-19 pandemic I and many in like circumstance have been self-isolating to a greater extent than most by virtue of a since birth disability and comorbidities. I have no children to guilt trip into taking care of me should my ability to independently live go sideways. So far, so good.

Since I’ve always taken good care of myself because of my medical status, the immediate need for a stepped up level of assistance via the health care system isn’t warranted and may not be for at least another decade. Wishin’ and hopin’. My independent living, health and wellness is sustained as I’m not a victim of self-destructive lifestyle habits like smoking, drinking to excess, over-eating the ‘wrong’ foods. In fact, I make a point of cooking foods that will carry me from week to week, 3 meals a day. Lots of water.

Staying healthy also means being agreeable with other  people  anticipating that they will reciprocate. Don’t be too needy so as not to abuse assistance of friends and family who know that you are not always able to meet some of the demands of daily living. I can’t do ladders, so don’t ask me. But  I will ask you. If I do, I’ll pay you with a loaf of homemade bread and a few bucks.

Lots of folks are expanding their vegetable gardens as food supplies have been interrupted. With that comes community growth,  especially helpful in rural settings where  lots of ‘old school’ farmers and children and grandchildren of farmers still live with their own families. Many teaching opportunities are found in that rich soil.

My friend, Kathi Dunphy, former librarian in Stanley now living in St. Martins, told me that she had planned to downsize her garden this year. Instead, she’s doubled it with the help of neighbours with whom she and  her husband will share the harvest. According to Kathi, “there will be a lot of freezing/canning/ pickling ahead!”  Won’t you be my neighbour?

The COVID-19 pandemic has forever altered the financial health of many among us with lots of businesses not surviving; those who had a dream years ago, decades ago, saw it all disappear in a matter of months. Some may have had a sufficient financial cushion and a back-up plan that  will allow them crawl back up, to stand and march on. Others will need ongoing supports from government for months to come. Yet again, a call to explore the viability of universal basic income, if only in the short term.

Seniors who were planning to sell homes are no longer able to do that. Can they safely age in place? Will they need help to do that? A “what do I need?’ list is helpful with CHMC’s Residential Rehabilitation Program being a place to start discussions.

Staying engaged during times like these, particularly for those who were isolated before the pandemic visited their lives, is vital and letting people know you’re having struggles is important. They want to help. Not everyone has internet access, so it’s important for our governments to look at ways to broaden coverage and make costs accessible to all. For equal access of education of our children, technology must be more fully developed in rural settings and fee structures established that include those on the financial fringes.

As people begin establishing their own ‘new normal’ and redefine themselves with a new job, whether as part of a new team in a different career, or a dream fulfilled with brand new start, they can start standing securely on their own and lift themselves up, with an ability to lift another up. The building block effect has potential to reshape and solidify a new  economic landscape and all that underpins it, effectively redefining a community, especially for those who were previously struggling.

It’s important  during these unique days and months ahead that we be RESPECTFUL. Tossing used masks and gloves on our roadways, along with those empty coffee cups, food wrappers and other such waste is not only rude, it’s wrong! Our wildlife came out from their own confinement to enjoy their world free from human abuses to the environment; we need to remember that what’s outside our 4 walls is not our home and we have a duty to not abuse it. I’m sure you’ll agree and encourage those in your world to do the same.

  Safety is a mutual priority, folks.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with her geriatric Australian silky terrier and a rambunctious Maltese. She can be reached via email at carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca