As the old Bible King, Solomon said in Ecclesiastes (which many of you will remember is in our recent Sunday school lessons) “what goes around, comes around.” Seems like this Covid stuff is sure trying to do just that. It’s back. Some of our “experts” are saying this strain could be worse than the earlier one. But I doubt it. Since at least half of our population has been vaccinated against this dangerous pest that means to me that at least the half of us who did get vaccinated are unlikely to catch it at all, or at least, if we do it should be an attenuated case because those already shot will have some antibodies to it. Unless you are just one of those who don’t believe the shots work. Well, that’s your problem.

Government health officials fear that after “this” COVID, there may be more of these pandemics sweeping the world. Well, I guess that’s a safe guess. We have had these before but if you think about it, the WWI pandemic of flu didn’t get to ride around in close enclosures such as airliners. Even trains of that era usually had good air circulation (windows) and were more spacious. And there were just a lot fewer people to help pass the virus along than what we have these days. And I repeat. We just didn’t congregate up like we do these days. Again, I am reminded that public buildings and church houses were not airconditioned then. All are factors when you consider viral transmission. But it managed to spread OK.

In 1956 the so called “Hong-Kong” Flu (a corona virus too) hit the world with a vengeance. I remember the year as I was in the Navy. Several weeks later while returning to Boston from Coco Solo and Venezuela on my little Destroyer, most of my fellow crewmen got very ill with this flu. But not me. When we finally had steamed back to Boston the authorities made us anchor out in the outer harbor. Quarantined. No one even allowed to go to the hospitals. All full, they claimed. We had to make do. I was one of about a dozen crewmen pressed into service as a “makeshift” nurse.

I still never caught it. Before it was over, I was sort of thinking I would have been better off to just have had it such as it was with the hard work being a “nurse.” But we finally made it into our dock and absolutely none of our crew or officers were allowed off the ship. Still quarantined. Even our skipper. I wasn’t too concerned about it. I didn’t catch it. I had already survived the Polio scares of the 40s and 50s and those shots so I knew it could be handled. Not so today with many of our skeptical citizens.

Many have little confidence about just where this corona came from. Rumors of “germ warfare” out of China and its infamous Wuhan lab circulate freely. And it makes good material for some TV preachers. But thankfully this virus is being handled pretty well by our health care system, so far.

In other news, people in Allen were surprised at the speed the Taliban was able to capitalize on our exit from Afghanistan. We hadn’t really gotten out of the city limits of Kabul before the Taliban takeover was almost done. Finished. Now we are trying to hurry up our Katzenjammer type getaway from our expensive and plush US Embassy. Nothing more has been said about bringing along the tens of thousands of Afghans who helped us and who will no doubt be put to death. Biden promised to give all of them special immigration help. But there they are, forgotten -doomed.

Their president Ghani did, however beat the rush. He is already long gone. The Palace Empty. I guess our embassy will be empty too in a day or two. Just another sad day for America. I wonder, what’s next?

Have a good week and be sure and go to church this Sunday.

Wayne Bullard, DPh cwaynebullard@gmail.com