South Walton beaches and COVID - If you are older

When I first became aware of COVID 19 and the possible repercussions it might have on us on a personal level, it felt like the feeling I get when it's days out but the weather maps show us within the cone of a hurricane. Being in the northern part of the state, when we are in "the cone" several days out there's still a good chance we won't get a direct hit because the cone can, and usually will change. But there's uncertainty. So we prepare for variables. You want to get the house in order, get supplies you needed to get anyway, etc. You have a good idea of what you will take if you need to evacuate, and you might even make some reservations somewhere outside the cone, but you don't pack up the car yet. It's uneasy anticipation that can last a week or so.  Until maybe 24 hours before you get a really good idea of where the storm is heading and how strong it is. Then you act. You batten down or evacuate. A day later you know stuff.

The uncertainty of COVID19 is that while we can monitor the situation, we can't see it, we have no real history with it, and we don't know how long it will last. What we do know is that it strikes older people harder than everyone else so we are still staying close to home and practicing safe measures like wearing masks at indoor public spaces. That's something we can control. 

Compared to other highly populated states, so far, Florida has fared better than expected in the pandemic. We don't have many densely packed cities and that has helped us. Recently, after a relatively cautious approach at "flattening the curve" in the beginning, the WCBCC opened up the beaches and then the Governor opened up the Short Term Rentals. Since then the tourists have rushed in like a tidal wave.  Easy to understand that. People have been cooped up inside, for 2 months. They want to be at the beach and enjoy the sun. And our economy is dependent on visitors, folks have to work. So, because we are older, the way we feel safe at the beach is to go before 9 a.m. We have always done that because we find it to be the best time of the day so that's easy. South Walton has 26 or so miles of shoreline but the majority is private so the places to sit can be hard to come by so keep that in mind. Restaurants are open for outdoor seating and indoor seating at 50% capacity with six feet of spacing between parties. We don't go to restaurants yet but visitors do so you can always call ahead to ask about policies. Shopping is open with the same safety parameters. To me, the grocery store is the thing that is most difficult because with a large influx of people, it can get crowded in there and masks are not required. Most grocery stores require their employees to wear masks but to shop safely, go before 8:30 a.m. The shoppers at that hour are usually older, wear masks, and follow the directional signs put up to keep everyone safe. 

These days, being patient and tolerant is a virtuous goal. I don't think any of us are experts on COVID19. I make the best decisions for me based on what I can control. It has been my experience that it is best to accentuate the positive even when you can't seem to eliminate the negative.