Day 7 of what started as a self imposed social distancing experiment...began on Thursday because Vincent came to the conclusion that we were better off limiting our exposure to and therefore our potential to spread, what else, the Coronavirus. By Monday the experiment became a way of life kinda sorta mandated by the government.
I had a head start on the shopping thingy because weirdly, the less our President tried to make/take the seriousness of this pandemic, the more I read up on what was slowly gathering speed and so stocked up a bit before the pandemonium started. My Costco run was done last Tuesday itself. And no, I bought only one 36 roll pack of toilet paper! I stocked up on seafood since Vincent and I decided to be pescetarian for Lent. I noticed I had a 20 lb sack of idli rice, basmati and Sona Masoori. All the dals were good to go.There was chicken in the freezer and frozen veggies too. I bought some onions and fresh vegetables. All this I did by Thursday.This was all a cursory thing, not a frantic 'running down a list to make sure we were well stocked for the apocalypse' kind of thing.
While one could literally hear the whoosh of the gathering storm in the background, life seemed to go on as usual.I volunteered at the library on Wednesday, dropped my little one at gymnastics and visited Whole Foods in the meanwhile because, listen to this, they had a sale on beauty products😂!! My beauty product is soap and hand cream and not the myraid miracle gels and masks and lotions and potions on display, and here I was wandering around the Beauty aisle at Whole Foods while the virus was sneaking its way into my life, albeit figuratively.
Thursday was different. My beloved nerd in residence decided that things were starting to look very bad for society at large and especially a society which seemed oblivious to the tsunami rearing up. He decided to work from home. Emmanuel who was home for spring break, started getting sombre updates from Creighton and Noel's school district sent emails that sounded befuddled-almost like they were scratching their heads and wondering what to do. But life went on. I still went shopping and bought fresh fish and vegetables with no thought of buying more because I might not be able to buy any in the near future.
Thursday evening was a turning point: Noel’s school district closed with the last day of school being Friday and Creighton decided to move to online classes and requested students to come in if possible, take whatever they needed for a prolonged stay at home, and leave.We booked tickets for Emmanuel to go to Creighton on Sunday and wind things up and return on Monday.
There was, by Friday, a palpable sense of urgency in things...the media which thrives on sensationalism started going wild...with some justification. The whole idea of warning people that horrible things were going to happen is the media’s dream come true and this one was in spades. The counter balance was the naysayers including ‘eyeroll’....well, everyone knows who. The whole phenomenon was pooh poohed off as an utter waste of time and resources and a hoax. Well there is balance in life after all. In the midst of it all were a reasonable number of people sifting through the mess and coming up with a sensible plan of action for themselves.
The recurrent theme that was an eye opener for me was the fact that the government seemed to want to tiptoe around the behemoth issue because they did not want to trod on any citizen’s toes.When you live in what is supposedly the -the general definition, not mine- only remaining Superpower, lorded over by the ‘ Leader of the Free World’- again, the general definition, not mine-the expectation is that things will be managed amazingly.You just follow instructions and things will be fine.That would be because we have the finest brains coming up with the sanest suggestions leading to the safest/ best outcome possible. Nope...never happened. The mess unfolding on TV was a sight to behold. True the Coronavirus is a new evil that we don’t have a playbook to use against, but the mixed messages and contradictory information being bandied about almost gave you a headache. And the realization that the country as a whole was unprepared to face it because of sheer inactivity was unforgivable. One does not expect to fend for oneself here in times like this. But that is what happened. It became a question of choosing what to do. Of all the information being thrown at the public, a clear plan of action has yet to emerge( it almost has).True there is enough information out there that we can come to our own conclusions, but that lag in governmental actions can have massive consequences.
I’m not even going to write about the run on toilet paper- for the simple reason that I only have second hand information 😃.But when I asked Emmanuel if he would try using the bidet I have installed in my bathroom, the answer was a firm no😣. I’ve failed in my duties as a mother!!
He made it safely back home on Monday and we will hunker down. We are reasonably well stocked and don't have a need to go out for anything for now. There is enough academic work for the kids and for once social media is a lifesaver. The bread winner in the family is busy slogging away upstairs in the computer room. Emmanuel is back in his room and uses his usual study room.Noe and I occupy the downstairs area and life ambles on.
But here is the thing- this is not our usual life. As much as it is a relief, it is a huge disruption. Yesterday I went and sat outside the front of the house in the sun and Vincent was asking me what I was doing. It hit me that we all have our routines and messing that up does take a toll. I, for one, was used to packing lunch and waving goodbye to everyone by 7.00 in the morning and having the house to myself. This having everyone at home was good but seems to intrude on my space😛. Unfair, absurd- but true.
Not to dramatize it, but this is a novel situation.The memes making fun of this enforced situation are hilarious, but also thought provoking. When we choose to do something, the experience is different. but when you are forced to do the same thing, the experience is completely different.This togetherness is nice for now, but with no end in sight, one has to wonder.
Thinking about how things are going to play out in the next few months almost gives me a panic attack. Are all these efforts to flatten the curve going to help? Is this a one year occurrence? Or is it like the flu? An recurring annual visitor? Will a vaccine help? Does one develop immunity if you have this infection once? Too many questions, too few answers...
But the one thing that I am truly happy about is the fact that the world over, people are connecting over this. Memes shared, jokes laughed over, advice freely given, existential questions bandied about, religious fervor reinvigorated, and ofcourse hubristic chest thumping about how they’ve beat it because of...whatever.
The most important thing that social media is achieving right now though, is the fact that it lets us share this experience.And since some countries are ahead on this curve there are valuable lessons being taught and being learnt. The video from Italy( multiple ones) cautioning the rest of the world about not taking this thing too seriously and then paying for it massively was an eye opener for me. The fact that people are making it through and coming out battered but fine on the other side is heartening. China is limping back to normalcy.There is hope for us.
But most importantly, this is an exercise in coming together for a common good. More like, sacrificing together for the common good.This disruption is a major sacrifice, and the economic toll is going to be massive. I am worried about people who cannot take this punch in the gut for want of financial security.The layoffs have begun.Small local stores are struggling. Emmanuel yesterday went and picked up food from a food cart that sent an email about trying to break even and pay their employees.Heart breaking.Noel’s gymnastics teacher sent a heartfelt email about how she was on the brink of not being able to pay her employees..the stories hurt. The unfairness of it all. Our security is not being threatened but there are millions for whom, the next meal is not assured, just because of this.
A prolonged lockdown might jeopardize even our security. That is a distinct probability. I know I sound doom and gloom, but let’s face it, the worst case scenario is how we prepare to minimize the losses. The theme right now is, overreaction. Like, I’d rather have over reacted now and felt embarrassed about it later, than sat around smugly and paid the worst price for it.
So let’s batten up the hatches and settle down in a comfortable spot and watch this thing unfold. No movie can make up for the real experience, no? Got some popcorn? Dang it!!! That’s one thing I didn't stock up on!
I had a head start on the shopping thingy because weirdly, the less our President tried to make/take the seriousness of this pandemic, the more I read up on what was slowly gathering speed and so stocked up a bit before the pandemonium started. My Costco run was done last Tuesday itself. And no, I bought only one 36 roll pack of toilet paper! I stocked up on seafood since Vincent and I decided to be pescetarian for Lent. I noticed I had a 20 lb sack of idli rice, basmati and Sona Masoori. All the dals were good to go.There was chicken in the freezer and frozen veggies too. I bought some onions and fresh vegetables. All this I did by Thursday.This was all a cursory thing, not a frantic 'running down a list to make sure we were well stocked for the apocalypse' kind of thing.
While one could literally hear the whoosh of the gathering storm in the background, life seemed to go on as usual.I volunteered at the library on Wednesday, dropped my little one at gymnastics and visited Whole Foods in the meanwhile because, listen to this, they had a sale on beauty products😂!! My beauty product is soap and hand cream and not the myraid miracle gels and masks and lotions and potions on display, and here I was wandering around the Beauty aisle at Whole Foods while the virus was sneaking its way into my life, albeit figuratively.
Thursday was different. My beloved nerd in residence decided that things were starting to look very bad for society at large and especially a society which seemed oblivious to the tsunami rearing up. He decided to work from home. Emmanuel who was home for spring break, started getting sombre updates from Creighton and Noel's school district sent emails that sounded befuddled-almost like they were scratching their heads and wondering what to do. But life went on. I still went shopping and bought fresh fish and vegetables with no thought of buying more because I might not be able to buy any in the near future.
Thursday evening was a turning point: Noel’s school district closed with the last day of school being Friday and Creighton decided to move to online classes and requested students to come in if possible, take whatever they needed for a prolonged stay at home, and leave.We booked tickets for Emmanuel to go to Creighton on Sunday and wind things up and return on Monday.
There was, by Friday, a palpable sense of urgency in things...the media which thrives on sensationalism started going wild...with some justification. The whole idea of warning people that horrible things were going to happen is the media’s dream come true and this one was in spades. The counter balance was the naysayers including ‘eyeroll’....well, everyone knows who. The whole phenomenon was pooh poohed off as an utter waste of time and resources and a hoax. Well there is balance in life after all. In the midst of it all were a reasonable number of people sifting through the mess and coming up with a sensible plan of action for themselves.
The recurrent theme that was an eye opener for me was the fact that the government seemed to want to tiptoe around the behemoth issue because they did not want to trod on any citizen’s toes.When you live in what is supposedly the -the general definition, not mine- only remaining Superpower, lorded over by the ‘ Leader of the Free World’- again, the general definition, not mine-the expectation is that things will be managed amazingly.You just follow instructions and things will be fine.That would be because we have the finest brains coming up with the sanest suggestions leading to the safest/ best outcome possible. Nope...never happened. The mess unfolding on TV was a sight to behold. True the Coronavirus is a new evil that we don’t have a playbook to use against, but the mixed messages and contradictory information being bandied about almost gave you a headache. And the realization that the country as a whole was unprepared to face it because of sheer inactivity was unforgivable. One does not expect to fend for oneself here in times like this. But that is what happened. It became a question of choosing what to do. Of all the information being thrown at the public, a clear plan of action has yet to emerge( it almost has).True there is enough information out there that we can come to our own conclusions, but that lag in governmental actions can have massive consequences.
I’m not even going to write about the run on toilet paper- for the simple reason that I only have second hand information 😃.But when I asked Emmanuel if he would try using the bidet I have installed in my bathroom, the answer was a firm no😣. I’ve failed in my duties as a mother!!
He made it safely back home on Monday and we will hunker down. We are reasonably well stocked and don't have a need to go out for anything for now. There is enough academic work for the kids and for once social media is a lifesaver. The bread winner in the family is busy slogging away upstairs in the computer room. Emmanuel is back in his room and uses his usual study room.Noe and I occupy the downstairs area and life ambles on.
But here is the thing- this is not our usual life. As much as it is a relief, it is a huge disruption. Yesterday I went and sat outside the front of the house in the sun and Vincent was asking me what I was doing. It hit me that we all have our routines and messing that up does take a toll. I, for one, was used to packing lunch and waving goodbye to everyone by 7.00 in the morning and having the house to myself. This having everyone at home was good but seems to intrude on my space😛. Unfair, absurd- but true.
Not to dramatize it, but this is a novel situation.The memes making fun of this enforced situation are hilarious, but also thought provoking. When we choose to do something, the experience is different. but when you are forced to do the same thing, the experience is completely different.This togetherness is nice for now, but with no end in sight, one has to wonder.
Thinking about how things are going to play out in the next few months almost gives me a panic attack. Are all these efforts to flatten the curve going to help? Is this a one year occurrence? Or is it like the flu? An recurring annual visitor? Will a vaccine help? Does one develop immunity if you have this infection once? Too many questions, too few answers...
But the one thing that I am truly happy about is the fact that the world over, people are connecting over this. Memes shared, jokes laughed over, advice freely given, existential questions bandied about, religious fervor reinvigorated, and ofcourse hubristic chest thumping about how they’ve beat it because of...whatever.
The most important thing that social media is achieving right now though, is the fact that it lets us share this experience.And since some countries are ahead on this curve there are valuable lessons being taught and being learnt. The video from Italy( multiple ones) cautioning the rest of the world about not taking this thing too seriously and then paying for it massively was an eye opener for me. The fact that people are making it through and coming out battered but fine on the other side is heartening. China is limping back to normalcy.There is hope for us.
But most importantly, this is an exercise in coming together for a common good. More like, sacrificing together for the common good.This disruption is a major sacrifice, and the economic toll is going to be massive. I am worried about people who cannot take this punch in the gut for want of financial security.The layoffs have begun.Small local stores are struggling. Emmanuel yesterday went and picked up food from a food cart that sent an email about trying to break even and pay their employees.Heart breaking.Noel’s gymnastics teacher sent a heartfelt email about how she was on the brink of not being able to pay her employees..the stories hurt. The unfairness of it all. Our security is not being threatened but there are millions for whom, the next meal is not assured, just because of this.
A prolonged lockdown might jeopardize even our security. That is a distinct probability. I know I sound doom and gloom, but let’s face it, the worst case scenario is how we prepare to minimize the losses. The theme right now is, overreaction. Like, I’d rather have over reacted now and felt embarrassed about it later, than sat around smugly and paid the worst price for it.
So let’s batten up the hatches and settle down in a comfortable spot and watch this thing unfold. No movie can make up for the real experience, no? Got some popcorn? Dang it!!! That’s one thing I didn't stock up on!
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