I’ve been kicking around a few ideas for my first blog post. Not really clicking with any of them, writing some drafts and letting them sit. Thinking I may never get this blog rolling. And then yesterday, Ebola in Dallas. I live in Dallas. In fact I live a couple of blocks from the hospital handling this case. I’m so close I’m sometimes awakened at night by the sirens of ambulances heading to the ER. So I’ve been monitoring the news, mostly online because I rarely watch TV news. Twitter has been great for quick updates by local media. I watched the CDC press conference streaming online. There has been a news helicopter hovering over the hospital all yesterday afternoon and today as well. Not sure what they think they’re going to see other than rooftops and parking lots, but I guess when you have airtime to fill that’s better than nothing. Life is going on much as it always has here in Dallas, except I’m sure for the family of the man with Ebola. That is a good thing, but doesn’t make for a very interesting blog post. Then I made a mistake. I was on Facebook and there was a post in my feed from The White House. Very short and to the point. It basically said you can’t get Ebola from air or water or the food in the U.S. It is spread only through contact with blood or bodily fluids of a person or animal sick with Ebola or who has died from it. And the U.S. has the best doctors and health care infrastructure in the world (I might have a quibble or two with that last bit, but agree we are much better equipped to handle an outbreak than West Africa). So what was my mistake? Clicking on the comments section. Holy Panic Outbreak, Batman! It’s hard to describe that dark and paranoid space. But I’ll try with a replay of my thoughts as I read the thread:

Wow.
Paranoid much dude?
Really? I think that would’ve made the news by now.
Eye roll.
Wait, what?
Maybe if I read it again.
Nope.
Seriously dude, seek help.
No good will come of replying to any of this.
*headdesk*
Ouch.
WTF?
LOL.
Eye roll HARD.
I wonder if you can actually get your eyes stuck doing that?
Did any of these people even read the post?
I hope someone is monitoring you dude, ’cause damn.
I don’t think that’s even English.
Well it’s English words, but someone seems to have put them through a scrambler.
Do NOT reply!
*head – wait.
*facepalm*
Better.
Oh My God.
Oh. My. God.
No, don’t read it again.
Dude.
If that’s the case we need to evacuate North America, ASAP.
DO NOT reply, there’s no reasoning with this level of… jeez I can’t even think of a word to describe it. Wow.
Just Wow.
That’s gotta hurt.
I’ll pass.
Oh yeah, I’d MUCH rather have you in charge, dude.
Don’t skip working out today, just in case remember rule number 1 for the Zombie Apocalypse. Cardio.
I don’t think your guns will protect you from Ebola.
EEEEWWWWW!!!!
That many guns could be helpful if the virus mutates into, what would you call it? Zombola?
As for myself, I think I’d rather meet a zombie, dude.
I’ve gotta quit rolling my eyes, I’m getting a headache.
I think there might be material for a screenplay in here.
I could call it Day of the Zombola Dead.
Or Night of the Creeping Zombos.
Or My Arsenal vs. those Librul Government Zombies.
I have got to get out of here, they’re sucking me in.

I try to keep a sense of humor about everything. Just makes life easier. And a lot more fun. But it is just so frustrating sometimes the things that people are afraid of. There are very real issues with the health care system, the political system, and the educational system (as the level of literacy in the comments made glaringly clear) in this country. And they have zero to do with what most of these people are afraid of. But all of that is for other posts. Due to the nature of our global economy and the ease of world travel, it was inevitable that Ebola would make it to the United States. The fact that Dallas has the first case is not scary because I do believe the city, county, state and this country are still able to pull together to get what’s most important handled. Dallas is a vibrant, strong, international city with lots of resources and very smart and dedicated people who will do what it takes to keep a large outbreak from occurring. Of that I have no doubt. Although I may just go check out that Zombie Apocalypse survival kit I saw on Amazon. Just in case.