Pandemic Inconveniences: A Perspective from Ostomates

So we're seeing firsthand all the effects of a pandemic on our modern society. I find it rather amusing that "normal" people are so inconvenienced by simple requests to not socialize, isolate oneself, wash your hands often.......pretty minor stuff in the grand scheme of life. Compared to us ostomates, these people are just plain wimps. If they could walk in our shoes for a few days, a week, a month...whatever.....imagine how much calmer the world would be today. We all take for granted things that don't directly affect us. Personally, and I'm sure I speak for many of you, these minor inconveniences imposed on us to deal with the virus are nothing compared to what we've been through. I'd like to see how these whiners and complainers, who are upset about having to stay inside, or mad because they can't go to a ballgame, would deal with being obstructed for 8, 10, 12 hours. Dealing with continuous pain that's at a level that I've been told by health professionals is even more intense than being in labor......and not knowing when or if it will ever end. Or having to deal with sepsis........or cancer.......or any of the crap we've had to deal with.

Aww......they can't go to the club tonight or have a bonfire party on the beach.......my heart bleeds for these imbeciles. I've never asked for any sympathy from anyone as I've had to deal with my demons......and I'm sure you didn't either. We just tried to put on a smiley face and get on with our lives, hiding what we were dealing with as best we could, so as not to burden anyone else with our problems. So when I hear about all these people who are having trouble....or feeling sad and depressed, because they can't have their old normal life back right now.........they can't even put it on pause for a few weeks.....I just mentally give them the finger. What a wimpy world we live in.

If they only knew how bad it COULD be. Like it is EVERY DAY for some of us. Not for a few weeks........but FOREVER.

Sorry for the rant..........but my patience is wearing thin for those who can't or won't make even minor sacrifices to help their fellow man. Deep breath....take a deep breath.

Ok........we now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

;0(

Bob

Yeah, I hear you. And ironically, we are considered to be the freaks! It is frustrating. Can you imagine what healthcare professionals must be feeling?

We have gone generations without hardship - while that has been good for all of us, I think that has led to widespread disbelief now that we are actually facing hardship. So, the collective "we" has been slow to get on board. For the most part, though, that is changing. More and more people are starting to get it. There will always be pockets of COVIDIOTS, but if Darwin was right, the shallow end of the gene pool will eventually dry up. The problem is they are affecting the rest of us, and some of us will suffer badly as a result. The only way to fight back is to model good behavior, and call out those who aren't taking precautions, and hope that their lax behavior is just a momentary lapse in judgment. And if our politicians aren't getting it, we have a moral duty to let them have it! We need to speak up and let them know that their constituents deserve better, and that they were elected to do their utmost to keep us safe in times of crisis.

Hi Bob,

No, I agree and sometimes we have to vent or we'll just bust. We see what society is doing out there and we see all facets, good and bad. There are many self-centered individuals out there and it's sickening to watch. Etc. Me, it's all about me attitude and how life should not affect them...

I think maybe we should better focus on the good in our lives and shut the TV off for a while. Bob, you're right, we are alive! Been through the wringer a time or two and worse for some.

If you need to vent, I say do it. If you need to talk, then let's talk. Sometimes a good conversation can ease the tension. I'm open to conversations with anyone, maybe that's what we need in these trying times.

...mountain.

Hello  Bob.

You express a valid point of view (as usual) and for the most part I agree, although I have a slightly differering perspective and different words to describe the somewhat insane goings on at the moment.

Fortunately, I am having a whale of a time documenting some of the stupidity and what I call a form of  'bullying' in rhyming verse, so it isn't all going to waste. However, as far as ranting is concerned, I have already penned a poem on that subject,  so, I must thank you for the opportunity to ressurect it again for the benefit of those who may not have read it previously .

Best wishes

Bill

VENT A RANT.

I want to rant and scream and shout
and show my discontent.
I want to let the venom out
‘till all of it is spent.

So listen to me rant and rave
then you might understand.
The way you see me now behave
results from life’s crap-hand.

Sometimes I’m sick of all the shit,
the troubles and the strife.
I wish that I was rid of it
the pains and banes of life.

If my life was sweet and fair
I would not need to rant.
Because my life seems so unfair
I just need to decant.

Pour out my feelings one by one
and empty out my soul.
So anyone and everyone
can see in my hellhole.

It does me good to shout and scream,
take’s strain from off my brain.
What better way to let off steam
it helps to ease the pain.

Life has been both cruel and mean
to leave me as I am.
So now I need to vent my spleen
as often as I can.

As I say, life has a way
of being most unkind.
A rant a day keeps life at bay
and lifts the troubled mind.

So let us all appreciate
the rant in all its glory.
For rants are so appropriate
to tell a bad, sad story.

                      B. Withers 2011

Hello Bob. 

It's good of you to prompt a rhyme,

so I thought I'd take the time 

to pen another one to see

if it would link to covidiocy.

Best wishes 

Bill

A SIGN OF BULLYING 7.

I’m always looking out for signs,
which might indicate those swine’s,
who seek out folk who’re old and weak,
and make good on their bullying streak.

I’m sure you know the ones I mean,
those bullies who are often seen
pushing their way to the front of queues
without caring if they abuse.

They have no morals, or feel guilt,
for in their lives they must have built
immunity from feeling shame
as they play their bullying game.

In times of crisis they’re the ones
who go and shop for tons and tons
of produce that they will not use
and leave the weak and poor to lose.

These bullies are some selfish gits,
who’ll take whatever law permits,
and think that it is quite okay
as long as they have got their way.

This is a classic bully’s ploy,
and there’s no doubt that they enjoy
depriving others of a share
because they simply do not care.

We’ve seen this bullying before,
where bullies will take so much more
than their fair share of everything
so that for poor folks it will sting.

These bullies have, for far too long
just got away with doing wrong,
and I believe that it is time
I shamed them all within my rhyme.

                                    B. Withers 2020

Hi guys,

Thanks for letting me vent. As soon as I went into the living room and turned off the television, I started feeling better.

Now that you've read this far down the post, I hope you guys realize the enormity of what I've accomplished in this post. Check this out... as best I can tell, and I've only been on here for a little less than a year now... but I believe I'm the first ostomate (at least recently) to pen a post that has prompted Bill to insert TWO, not ONE... but TWO (2) of his fantastic rhymes in one post! And they were both great (as usual)!

You're all very welcome... and I wear that accomplishment as a badge of honor! (Bill... hold off for an hour or so before you burst my bubble and point out where in the past you previously did this... let this poor little bummed out redneck hillbilly enjoy his moment in the sun!

Hey, the attention that all of you and Bill have paid to this post has gotten me in a good mood. So keep your eyes peeled (a very strange expression, no?) for my next post. I'm going to put up my latest CNH (Cool New Hat) pic right now, instead of waiting until later. Because you guys deserve it!

And then later tonight... he-he... we're going to play a game. Stay tuned.

Thanks guys,

Bob

Right on, Bob. If the crybabies are so bored, they should volunteer at a hospital or nursing home and see for themselves what's really going on! I'm scared as hell. I go out as little as possible, but when I go to the store, I wear gloves and a mask. Then, when I get back into the car, I hand sanitize. When I get home, I wash my hands and wipe everything down. There are cases in every county in New York now. My county doesn't have a lot of cases yet, but even one case is bad. The people who are being defiant need a good bitch slap!

Hi guys,

Ok, it was bugging me........so I had to go find the origin of the phrase "to keep your eyes peeled". I'm guessing you Brits already know this one, but for everyone else............here's what I found on the World Wide Wonderful Web

"The origin comes from England and it is in reference to Robert Peel who started the British Police Force. The nicknames for the police were "Bobbies" or "Peelers" - peelers referring to keeping a watch out for lawbreakers. I know this is correct because 40 years ago I took part in a competition organized by the British Police and this was one of the questions that stuck."

So now we know.

;0)

Bob

I know! There are way too many whiners!
I haven't seen my 9 grandkids in 2 weeks, it sucks bad - but you do what you have to.

That's interesting, Bob. I've wondered about a lot of phrases and expressions, such as "I saw it with my own two eyes"... I mean, how else would you see something - duh?

Hello Bagface. T

he expression 'I saw it with my own two eyes' refers to the fact that one has seen it first hand, rather than seeing it through the eyes of another.  As a writer, I often get provided with concepts through the eyes of someone else, which are then translated into rhyme.  Of course, there are other alternatives like with a one-eyed person or someone who is blind.  I do have a rhyme to suit this theme, but it is in a book which is now out of print, so I can't copy and paste like I usually do. It'll have to wait for another time or maybe you have stimulated me to write another around this subject.

Best wishes

Bill

Bagger..........please stop "stimulating" Bill. Guys can go blind from all that stimulating............or so I was told when I was younger.

The cool thing about the internet is that although it technically doesn't "learn"..........it does remember. And with folks asking thousands of questions every day, it's becoming a more capable tool as time goes on. Ten years ago, if you typed in "origin of the phrase eyes peeled," you'd get nothing.....because not enough people had asked it. But now you can type in almost any question you can think of.........and it's already been asked and replied to many times. So although I'm not a fan of the interweb........it is becoming a more viable tool to our understanding. Now if someone could just go through it and delete all the WRONG answers.......then we'd have something!!

Regards,

Bob

Bob,

I had my surgery on March 5, 2020. I laughed when the COVID buzzword became "the new normal". I looked at my new bag and thought, "You don't know what the new normal really could be."

Best of health,

SharkFan

100 SharkFan!!! Must be nice to be able to go through life without experiencing things that drastically change your point of view by altering your reality. I don't begrudge folks like that........just wish I was one of them. Or maybe not. Going through life totally oblivious to the suffering of others around you probably requires a price be paid somewhere down the road.  Or so we hope.  

Later,

Bob