The vanity of giving

During the pandemic I've been sending greeting cards randomly, and lending things, and giving little gifts. It feels like something I can do to help others. I can't drive a car, so can't shop for others, but who doesn't like to be remembered?

Last week I sent a Graze box ( snack pack) to a friend who has CoVid. He can't get out, I cannot see him. He misses his snacks. I sort of imagined that CoVid might dent the appetite, but this doesn't seem to be true in all cases. It was fairly complicated to send the box. I had to rejoin, create a new ID, and I could not delete my old account. I also had to order another box for myself , in order to send a one off gift box. Nonetheless, I thought that D would be delighted to receive it.

Well, the week rolled by. My box didn't come on Friday, when it was supposed to. It didn't come on Saturday. Today, when it arrived, I'd almost forgotten about it. I hadn't heard a word from. D about a gift, so I texted him.

"Oh, that snack pack! It came last Saturday. I thought it was a free promotion. No, there was no note in it to say it was from you".

Disappointed, I persisted.

"But what did you think of the snacks?"

"To be honest, I haven't tried them yet. I threw them all into a jar for late night snacking"..

(Horrified) " You put the chocolate, banana and coconut snacks in with tht cheesy chilli and the barbecue-spice sticks?"

"Yes, what's wrong with that? I wanted to throw the little plastic punnets in the recycling..."

Oh dear. Another epic disappointment for me. Maybe I only give things  or send them  so that people will like me and be grateful. It is very clear to me that I strongly disapprove of the lack of social distancing in D's snack jar! It also turns out that he has a complete snacking system already installed on his table. Oh well...



It transpired  out that the  same D also has a health problem, a little known sideshow related to CoVid 19. I spent most of the day discussing his need to speak to a medic and get some antibiotics. When this prescription had been issued, I was horrified to realise that he didn't know when his neighbour would be able to pick it up. I  offered to go myself, though it's a long journey by bus. Eventually the neighbour did turn up with it, and D's battery died then so I didn't hear any more , so I so sincerely hope he has now started the course.

Just so that overseas visitors to my journal might know how things are in the UK, D has never been tested for the virus. He asked the nurse today when he might go out again. She said there was a shortage of antibody tests, so he won't be getting one of those. No testing, no tracking, no contact tracing.

How many people in the community have Covid-like symptoms that remain undiagnosed, and never get counted in the official figures? The scientists and the government aren't even speaking to each other.