1984

I bought the book, 1984, in the seventies, in New York, but didn't read it until 1984.  I remember it scared the hell out of me.  Now we seem to be living in the book, 1984.  I watched Trump yesterday tell his adoring, and deluded, fans that if you don't test for coronavirus, covid 19 will disappear.  They all cheered as they stood close together, without masks, spreading the disease like wildfires.  As the camera panned round the empty seats at his rally in Tulsa, Trump blamed the low turnout on the violent, bad people, protesting outside preventing his adoring fans from entering.  The camera switched outside where about 20 people were hanging around chatting.

Yesterday I went to Saumur market, which was very busy.  There was no social distancing, hardly any masks and people were milling about, the cafes were crowded, and generally everything looked as normal.  Then it happened.  Two women stopped to chat and gave each other the usual kiss on both cheeks.  The intake of breath from the people around them was palpable.  How could they? Outrageous.  Didn't they know that kissing was banned?  It was like being in Saudi Arabia, such was the shock on the shoppers' faces as they huddled close together ignoring the one metre rule,  without masks.