Is there anyone who still believes that the COVID-19 is being blown
out of proportion? This strange virus is able to slip past the
tightest defenses we currently possess.
Wednesday afternoon I spoke with my cousin, Ron Thompson, at his place
of residence, a Rehab Facility in Yakima, Washington. Like many older
men, Ron had worn his back out through heavy physical labor during his
youth. Now he had finally given up struggling around his own
apartment, and for the past year he has been in a rehab facility, able
only to use a wheelchair. Otherwise, in good general health, he told
me that boredom was his only complaint. Legally blind due to
Albinism, I suggested he might enjoy listening to Talking Books. We
planned to show him how to enroll in BARD via computer.
But his sister called me and said that Ron had died on the previous
morning, from COVID-19. Let me say it again, no problem on Wednesday,
May the 6th, and dead on Saturday, May 9. Ron said they were in total
shut down, and had no cases of virus among either residents or among
staff.
Sarah, his sister, said she was warning the people she was calling not
to come to the services. Yakima County is currently the state's
"virus hot spot".
Boy, the memories that come flooding back from 80 years of life.
At his peak, Ron was probably Washington State's greatest drummer, in
the 50's through the mid 70's, playing with every sort of band from
Country to Jazz.
Hey Ron, tell them Angels to move their harps over and make room for a
Drummer Boy!
Carl Jarvis, that's not thunder I hear...give 'em Hell, Cuz.
