For my well-being and sense of beauty, flowers are essential. Feeling low, buy colorful flowers! Sunflowers are especially cheery. During Covid, far-left shelter-in-place mandates from the CA state and local government officials angered me for many reasons, including the shut down of a floral shop I patronized for decades. This was forced isolation from contact with the wonderful owner and talented florists I had grown close to. Not deemed an “essential” business. Being relegated to Amazon-owned Whole Foods or another grocery store with inconsistent quality and selection did not make me happy. A recalcitrant and moderate, if there is a next time, just let me wear a mask and leave me to decide what’s essential and what isn’t.