“I’m so mad,” said the wife, “and it’s making me mean! I’m a nice person.  Ask anyone. Maybe not certain priests, bishops, or that judge who lost his job after I wrote about him.

 

“When my doctor’s aide slapped the pressure monitor onto my arm, and the guy at the deli flung my chicken salad across the counter, I wanted to lash out.  But then I thought: maybe people who’ve been taking care of us have a right to slap on a monitor now and then, or fling a little food.”

 

“It’s not just you,” said the ODD reporter, who dropped by, hearing that ODD was publishing again. “People are driving madder.  Crime is up.  Air travelers are choking staff.  Angry customers are grabbing personal shoppers, with adults, reported The New York Times, “devolving into children.”

 

“That happened to our friend Veronica at Whole Foods,” said the wife.  “A customer grabbed her; she had to put up her dukes to prevent further assault.”

 

“You’re coming to my job, my workplace.” said Veronica, by way of advice.  “You’re in, then you’re out.  I’m here all day.   Put on your mask, behave and r-e-l-a-x yourself!”

Like many people, the wife has had a number of non-Covid  health issues to contend with during the pandemic, so she does complain a lot.

 
“This new drug makes me dizzy…The doctor I saw was a jerk…My spine x-ray indicated a problem in my lung, and the lung test suggested perhaps an autoimmune disorder.”
 

By contrast, the husband rarely complains, though he has his share of medical maladies. “It’s not in my nature,” he said.
 

“Well, complain more, will you?” said the wife.  “I’ll feel better.” 
 

“Then will you stop complaining?” asked the husband. 
 

“It’s not in my nature,” said the wife. 

“When I noticed I was losing hair at a stepped-up pace, I chalked it up to aging,” said the wife.  “Until I joined a winter solstice webinar sponsored by the On Being Project.  To my astonishment, host Krista Tippett confessed that her hair was falling out, too!“

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The wife decided it had to be from Covid.  “Everything isn’t from Covid,” said the husband.

 

“But I’m right,” said the wife. The Atlantic confirmed it!  ‘The pandemic has been a near-perfect hair loss event,’ wrote Amanda Mull, who took an impressively deep dive into the subject.

 

Ever alert to alternative explanations, the husband remained skeptical. “Is the hair falling out,” he asked, tugging absentmindedly at his eyebrows, “or are people pulling it out?”

 

“It’s not either/or,” piped up the ODD reporter. “There’s a link between hair pulling and Covid, too. It’s all about stress. When the stress ends, the pulling and falling out should end too.” 

 

“Not helpful,” said the wife, heading for her Rogaine.