Pandemic, Week 1
Notes From Quarantine
Well. Huh. We’ve reached a stage where I am scared to say anything because as soon as I say it, it’s immediately dated.
Two weeks ago, I was loving the increased emphasis on hand-washing – but still planning to travel to New York for a conference on March 17.
One week ago, I was actually describing a quarantine as “cozy” – and was bummed that my trip to New York had been canceled.
Now everything is canceled. And we’re in quarantine. And it’s really not great, y’all.
It all happened so fast, or maybe I just wasn’t paying proper attention, but this time a week ago, I really didn’t see this coming. By Tuesday, maybe? By Wednesday, yes. By Thursday, I was angry they hadn’t closed schools yet. By Friday, they had.
On Saturday, I still thought I would go to a crawfish boil on Sunday – just a few friends, way less than the 250 cap! By Sunday, it seemed unthinkable that I’d even considered it, and I called my friend and sent our regrets.
Last Wednesday, I had lunch with my 82-year-old father, and everything seemed kind of normal except I made him wash his hands before eating. Today, I left groceries on his doorstep – groceries I won’t let him go to the store to buy – and then hurried off his porch to yell at him from his front yard that I loved him. My daughter and I both cried as we drove away.
“It feels like we’re in a movie,” she said, “and I keep waiting to walk out of the theatre and everything is normal again.”
Me, too, kiddo.
We’ve been through worse, of course, and I know we will get through this.
In the meantime, y’all, please stay safe, STAY HOME, and – as always – WASH. YOUR. HANDS.
