Roger Zee Memoirs

"Life and Times of a Pandemic Musician"

2021 Covid Vaccine 03/21/21

Excited to go for my second Pfizer Covid-19 vaccination tomorrow, March 22, at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY. Just a 1.2 mile walk from my apartment. But I don't feel much relief in sight. Not sure things will change a lot for me. I'll still wear a mask and will not feel safe in my favorite haunts -- listening to and playing live music in bars, restaurants, clubs, and parks. With the new variants running wild and people already throwing caution to the wind, I really don't know what will happen. Just heard they shut down Miami Beach due to Spring Break! Welcome to another excerpt from my memoirs, "Life and Times of a Pandemic Musician." B-|

I've lost faith in the US CDC. They change their guidelines like some people change their underwear. I'll never forget my ninth grade Social Studies instructor Mr. Terry at Great Neck North Junior High. The coolest teacher ever! Each day he would show us a movie in class. And as the AV guy, I got to pick up the film projector and run it! Our only homework? Write a one sentences precis (summary) of the movie's point. My favorite message ever -- one bad law breeds disrespect for all laws. If you feel OK about disregarding one stupid regulation, it makes it that much easier to disregard another one. ;-)

And that's the problem with the CDC. One day you don't need a mask. The next you do. One day, social distancing comprises six feet. Now it's three feet for children. First they say the vaccines will cover all variants. Now they're not sure. Turns out some prove twice as lethal and spread far easier. At first, they think you only need one shot ever. Then they say you need two pokes and the vaccine will last only for a year. Now they just change that to six months! Where's the believeability? :-O

So yeah, I don't think my life will return to normal any time soon. Take the music concerts they gave last summer at Silver Lake Park in Harrison, NY. I went to see FDR Drive, one of my favorite acts. I arrive to find tons of people walking around in close proximity with no masks. They allowed people to sit in groups with no masks, each pod loosely separated by six feet. But I witness virtually no masks anywhere. Due to my recent bout with "Fame" ( Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, ) many people call out and gesture for me to come over. What to do? I try to make a beeline out of there but can't find any safe way out. I finally make my way over to a deserted area at the far end of the park and wait for sundown when I bolt. D:<

So many of my musician friends caught Covid this past year playing gigs. Some as recently as two weeks ago. I asked my dentist and a fellow musician about a gig offer I received. His jaw dropped as he stared at me in shock, fear, and dismay. "You've already got one foot in the grave. Are you kidding me?" So yeah, I passed on the gig. Not risking my life for a hundred dollar or less gig. 8-O

As my friends and I journey through the immunization process, we chat about how our lives might change. At best, we could visit family and friends without wearing a mask. We might even venture out more often to shop. Most invite me over to hang in their backyard. But no one's letting me in their house, LOL! And on that note, I strap on "Brownie," my Mexican Fender Precision Bass, and dream about playing "All Day Music" as I continue to work out the "Low Rider" parts to War's "Greatest Hits." One <3

YouTube - All Day Music - War