How to come out of stay-at-home as our state starts to slowly re-open…

I will be doing a series about how to minimize risks to yourself and others as we slowly come out of our homes. Remember the risk will never be zero unless you’re in a containment chamber with sterile food and air piped in! You can only reduce it.

I’m going to address questions that are asked by neighbors, friends and family.

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗳?

Living in Hideaway, this might be the single most important question!!

I spent Sunday morning with Andrew as he played golf. I had a lovely time even though I do not play – I got to be outdoors in the fresh air and the brilliant sunshine, smelling the honeysuckle in the woods while watching him hit the ball.

Playing golf is one of the safest ways to get exercise and give your mood a boost during the pandemic. For people in Hideaway, it also gives a sense of returning to some level of “normalcy”. You’re not touching balls handled by others like in tennis, volleyball or basketball. You just touch your own ball (you know what I mean!). You’re well separated from other players and can still get in some socialization by waving across the green or stopping for a conversation while social distancing.

Our fabulous Hideaway golf club has already put some great safety measures in place to prevent crowds from gathering in close quarters. No more than 10 people are allowed on the driving range and each player is separated by a lot more than 6 feet. They have removed sand bottles and rakes and have asked people to avoid touching the flags. They’re disinfecting all carts thoroughly. So if you want a break from your usual walk, now’s the time to get out your golf clubs.

I plan to “play” golf with Andrew once a week with social distancing so we can have our nerdy chats even when we’re not working and can exchange some friendly waves with other players. It’s amazing how much I look forward to those waves these days! They lift my spirits instantaneously.