Well, I’ve had my first falling out with a friend over Covid etiquette and I think it perhaps won’t be my last.
Now when I say falling out, everything remained very civil. However, the friend in person knew I was not very happy.
So I need to know if you think I was being unreasonable?
Gordon and I went to a meeting where the friend in question was also in attendance. He wasn’t wearing a mask but we both kept ours firmly in place. Most other people at the meeting had their’s on and we moved our chairs away a bit as well.
All went well until we all left the building and my friend announced that his wife had Covid.
He laughed as he said it and told us about how they were having to try to keep away from each other in the house.
Well, I was furious, mainly because as a friend, he knows that Gordon is vulnerable and he could have told us before the meeting not afterwards! I don’t think he should have come to the meeting, we could have done it on Zoom. And, furthermore, why didn’t he at least put his mask on?
I just walked away before I said the wrong thing. I got into my car, bundled Gordon in on the way past and sped out of the gate.
Later that night the friend sent a message asking if he had upset me in some way, as I had left in a hurry, so the next day I texted him to tell him how I felt.
He said he and his wife had followed the rules exactly and kept away from each other.
Two days later he emailed to apologise and say he had tested positive for Covid so his following of the rules didn’t seemed to have worked very well!
Sometimes common sense and a bit of unselfish behaviour goes a long way.
Thankfully, Gordon and I are still negative, so that’s a relief, but while we can’t control or really comment on the behaviour of strangers it’s surprising when our friends behave in a way that we don’t expect.
It’s hard to know sometimes if honesty is the best policy. I prefer to tell friends if they upset me and I’d hope they would tell me as well. I don’t like when there is an atmosphere and no one knows why.
Would you have said anything? Should I have just kept my opinion to myself?
Last week I also asked for your opinions of course and, my goodness, you had strong feelings on the subject!
My question, if you remember, was if you thought it was OK that I had been asked to do the “Address to the Haggis” at a Burn’s supper.
While some people didn’t mind a woman doing the job, quite a few of you had never heard of anything like it.
Lovely Jessie Campbell from Connel near Oban had to read the question a few times because she just couldn’t believe what I was asking. She had never heard the like!
Jessie wasn’t alone. It seems like I should leave that task to the men. Jessie also felt that Rabbie Burns wouldn’t have approved either!
I’m quite happy to retire gracefully and not do it again, anyway. I was saying it in my sleep, I was so worried about forgetting the words.
It went OK in the end, though. I had to look down at my words a couple of times but I managed to carry it off and not show the nerves.
I figured that at least half of my audience didn’t understand a word of it anyway!
I don’t think I would have got away with it north of the border. I hope you all enjoyed some haggis and a wee dram this week.
Has anyone else got into the new craze of “Wordle”?
Wordle is a daily online game where you have six tries to guess a five letter word.
It tells you if you have any correct letters on each go and if they are in the correct place. It’s so good and totally addictive. It only takes a few minutes and its a lovely little challenge to do every day.
It’s a lot less challenging than learning a Burns poem, let me tell you, and a nice way to keep your mind active.
Isn’t it funny how these things suddenly become a big craze? If you haven’t tried it, I’d recommend having a go and don’t blame me if you become addicted.
Wordle was invented by a software engineer called Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner who liked word games! What a gift! It is now a huge viral sensation.
Anyway, today’s five letter word from me is …. Lunch!
Gordon has made me mine and that’s a rare occurrence, so I’m off to enjoy it.
Have a good week,
Yvie x