Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I’m using this week’s space to share my fellow Somerville friend’s feelings about this pandemic until we get the all safe signal. What do Somerville people miss the most during these trying times? All the following comments are by Somerville folks and are in quotations.

“Our parents made great sacrifices during WWII so if wearing a mask and social distancing are sacrifices, I need to make like I’m ok with the inconvenience.”

“We will get through these difficult times. Saving lives is worth the small sacrifices we are asked to do!”

“I miss … Seeing my grandsons in NJ … spending time with my grandkids in Stoneham … pending time with friends and family!”

“I miss being able to sit down with my wife eating out. I’m now afraid of anything outside the house involving people I don’t know well.”

“I miss being able to hug my friends that I run into when I am out and about. ”

“I miss the fact that along with dealing with the virus, I’ve lost family members over ridiculous politics.”

Our neighbors from Union Square to Teele Square miss … “the simplicity of breathing without a mask, seeing people smile, outdoor festivals and music, and living life without ALL this worrying. I miss seeing my kids who live out of state.”

One of my friends who is retired says, ” it feels like we’re being punished for something we did not do, I feel like I’m in a third world country. God Bless America!” Someone else shares; it would be great “to be able to just go out at will without worrying about catching something like the flu or worse!”

We have to keep being vigilant and follow the advice of the doctors and scientists.

I’m splitting my time between playing the piano, trying to exercise and watching way too much television. My lifelong dream was to be able to watch TV all day and not work, but it’s getting out of hand. I’ve been singing too many TV commercials like the Skyrizzi song, (Nothing is everything) the Secret deodorant tune, (all strength, no sweat!). And if I see one more ad with Tom Selleck hawking reverse mortgages, I’m going to freak out. Didn’t he make enough dough doing Magnum and Blue Bloods? I love network TV but thankfully, we also have Netflix . I’m glad I have the complete DVD sets of Seinfeld, The Three Stooges, The Andy Griffith Show, The King of Queens, and last but not least, Leave it to Beaver. That’s all I need (and my Back To The Future DVD set!).

Bottom line, we all need to keep ourselves and our families safe. My 91-year-old friend is battling back from a serious bout with COVID-19 and doing much better.

Hopefully, it won’t be long before we can visit, hug and enjoy our loved ones again. In the meantime, don’t forget to stay well, be safe, keep positive and vote. Let’s all hope this thing is over soon. Remember, Somerville leads the way.