Listen, society, we’ve been through a lot. Even outside of Texas legislators on the lam, COVID-19 hospitalizations have more than doubled in the past month, crime has been trending up in Dallas and other cities, the Moops caused a stand-off on a highway in Massachusetts, and crews have been clearing the site of the condo collapse in Florida.

I talked a couple firefighters from Garland who went to help out in Surfside. They talked about how, even when the debris is cleared, the firefighters there will have to deal with the long-term effects of responding to to the collapse.

So I understand why people are on edge. Some of us have even been driven to make outrageous claims about Cincinnati-style chili.

Loyal Scaiaholics will recall I’ve learned Skyline Chili isn’t for everyone. I respect that. But why so angry?

A department in Ohio also had manpower in Surfside working with the guys from Garland. Arizona, New York and Rhode Island also sent help.

At a time like this, we can turn to Ohio to unite us all. The American Red Cross understands.

The Red Cross has been dealing with a drop in donations and an increased need with more people getting out of the house as the pandemic winds down.

“What can we do to get more people to give blood?” the Red Cross marketing executive in the blue tie asked in their board room one recent afternoon.

They all looked at each other, puzzled. The executive in the green tie shrugged.

“We could offer a trip to Knott’s Berry Farm,” he said.

“I like where you’re going with that,” the executive in the yellow tie said. “But what if, and hear me out, what if we also offered a trip to Ohio?”

There was a long pause. The executives in all the different colored ties looked at each other.

“I’d be a fool to argue with that,” the executive in the blue tie said, relaxing his shoulders.

I received a press release shortly after this hypothetical board meeting.

“You can win a trip to Ohio?!” I exclaimed. “Surely that can bring us all together!”

I called their public relations person. We compared notes on Ohio’s roller coasters.

I’ve been trying to give back to the medical community after taking so, so much. I thought back to the last time I had given blood and realized enough time had passed for me to sign up for this Ohio vacation.

I showed up for my appointment. The lady at the desk asked, “Would you like to make a Power Red donation?”

“Frankly, I’m concerned my red blood cells would already be too powerful for a potential recipient,” I replied.

She explained what that means in a way I do not recall, but I did choose Power Red. I suggested I race the guy next to me but opened with, “Hang on a second, I need to get a good picture of the plasma bag filling up first.”

Look how I even positioned the logo in the picture! I’d like to hope that might get me a second entry into to the Ohio Sweepstakes.

We can all do our part to help us get through this last bit of the pandemic. Even if you don’t win a trip to Ohio, you still get a free t-shirt and a juice box.