Not again

 

Anthony Rizzo (USA Today)

Anthony Rizzo is COVID positive.

Rizzo joined the Yankees a few weeks ago in a trade from the Chicago Cubs, where he had become an icon. He's a player I've longed to see in pinstripes and his arrival pleased me.

But now he's joined a list of Yankees who have either been on the COVID injured list or are currently on it.

With the announcement this morning, I couldn't help but groan.

Oh, we had to have Gov. Cuomo's fireworks and Mayor de Blasio's inane parade that nobody, frankly, cared about.

We have to run the commercials on how we're "New York Strong" because it's over.

It's over, right?

We could do a whole thing on both on these politicians, especially the mighty Bridge Namer in Albany. His day of reckoning is coming and we'll soon be done with de Blasio, who can go back to eating pizza with a knife and fork and not receive grief for it.

But the thing is, as you've gathered, it's not over. We don't know when it will be over. We're heading right back towards the mask edict coming back into effect.

Fortunately, I have not stopped carrying any of my masks. I still have the Mahopac one and a couple from the Renegades -- I thought those would be the last I'd need -- and two Under Armour masks, and a Yankees mask, and a Steelers mask made by Susan's cousin.

I might be forgetting one but you get my point.

Something told me to not get rid of any of them. I had an old saying, created by my friend Ryan Demaria who always said, "Keys, phone, wallet," when he'd leave the WGCH studio. Mine was adjusted for 2020 into, "Keys, phone, wallet, glasses, mask."

But what I worry about -- what really troubles me -- is what it will do to all of us mentally. Selfishly, I worry about my own mental anguish.

I mean, having to wear a mask is one thing but we can deal with that. I dread the thought of having to call games wearing it. Overall, I wasn't made to do it very often since I was sequestered away from most fans and athletes. But one of the times I did wear a mask I thought I was going to pass out. So, yeah, there's that anxiety.

But what if we go back into quarantines? In 2020, I had to take care of Mom. Even if I didn't want to go out, I didn't have the option. So it was a steady diet of taking her to dialysis, going to the grocery store, taking her to doctor's appointments, and doing other chores for her. 

When and if we were stuck in the house, we could eat dinner together and watch "Jeopardy."

This time? It's me and the cat unless Sean elects to stay here.

I'm not afraid to be alone. I'm not. I'm alone right now, save for Rascal. I could wind up being alone for the rest of my life, to be honest.

I'd like to believe we'll continue to do video depositions so I'd at least have work that I'm grateful for. But, more than that, what about schools? Students? Athletics (again, selfishly, that's part of who I am)?

Are we heading back into all of this?

It's simplistic to say the reason for it is the number of unvaccinated people. I get it. I've done my part. I got vaccinated and will get a booster if needed. That doesn't make me a sheep. It makes me smart. Responsible.

Yet I don't come here to judge those who haven't gotten the shot. I'd like to understand why but I doubt I ever will. We're all just too defensive and too angry.

We're also too full of conspiracy theories.

I'd like to avoid being housebound. It worries me.

I'd like to put the masks away.

I'd like this thing to be over.

I'm not sure how much more I can take.