So, my friend Sam came to visit the other night. Sam drops by from time to time to hang out- we gossip, we try to solve the world’s problems- you know, just friends hanging out. Sam is clean and well put together, which is good because I am terrified of germs, always worrying about the billions of bacteria lurking on every surface, just waiting to make me sick. As I said, Sam’s a neat and clean guy, but the other night he showed up with a red, gooey eye. Oh the terrible possibilities! Conjunctivitis! Viral eye infection! Cold! Flu! It could be anything… “What’s wrong with your eye?” I asked Sam. “Oh, I don’t know- probably just lack of sleep,” he answered, unconcerned. “Does it hurt, does it itch?” I continued. “Yes, actually, it does,” Sam said. My germ phobia kicked in at full speed.  “You should get that checked out tomorrow- you might need to treat it,” I told him. “Good idea.” I told him to be careful not to touch anything around the house just in case he had something contagious. Sam said he’d leave. I’m afraid I may have made him feel unwelcome so I told him he didn’t really have to go; he could wash his hands well with hot water and soap, dry with disposable paper towels, and then do a quick rub with Purell just to be safe.

I love hand sanitizer! I have it in my house, my car, my handbag, my office- anywhere I feel threatened by germs. I know that sometimes, despite your best efforts, you get sick. But if you do what you can to avoid germs, I’m sure you can prevent that from happening at least some of the time. One day a coughing, sneezing woman sat down next to me on the bus. It was crowded and I couldn’t get up and  move somewhere else, so in addition to being grossed out, I was also worried about catching what she had. I must not be the only one who worries about those kinds of things because she immediately turned to me and reassured me that she wasn’t sick, she was suffering from allergies. Still gross but at least not dangerous.

I know it’s already March which means Spring officially begins in a few weeks, but it still feels like winter and it’s still cold and flu season. I don’t know if it’s too late to get a flu shot, and even if you already got one there are still precautions to take to make sure and stay healthy. First of all, stay away from people who are coughing and sneezing or look sick. Washing your hands is the best way to prevent getting sick- always wash your hands well with soap and hot water and use hand sanitizer if you can’t clean right away. Don’t touch your eyes, nose or  mouth because that is how germs can enter your body. And you can also do your part to avoid getting others sick; if you don’t feel well- stay home!