It began “over there.” My mental picture of China is busy markets and crowds of people. Most of them wearing masks. But I know people living in China, so I prayed for them and their safety.
I lived my life while the storm rumbled in the background.
At church, they cautioned us not to hug and did this funny bump thing. I hugged anyway.
Then one day, they shut the schools for three weeks.
I remember the waves of shock that washed over me. Inside the dark recesses of my smug mind, in places no one else goes, I thought, “But I didn’t think we were bad here.” I read the Prime Minister’s statement and discovered words like isolation and social distancing.
I understood that the experts had studied how this unfolded in other countries. They saw the trend among nations where people stayed away from each other. Not as many got sick, and if they didn’t get sick, they didn’t die.
I get it. Precautionary. Okay.
We were told if we stayed away from each other, washed our hands, stayed in if we were sick, self-isolated if we’d been anywhere and stayed inside, we’d flatten the curve. Well, of course. We want that.
Then the church building closed. Everything happened online.
And craziness began.
People bought insanely and hoarded and made jokes about toilet paper and cleared the shelves in stores while wearing masks and wiping down their carts with disinfectant wipes. Which you couldn’t buy any more because people were hoarding them…
Grocery stores reserved the time from 7:00 am to 8:00 am for “their most vulnerable customers.” More shockwaves as I realized they were talking about me. Grocery shopping took half a day as I disinfected and washed each article before putting it away. I approached the whole experience with a sense of dread as if entering a dangerous, germ-filled cesspool. The shelves remain half-full.
Back inside my mind, which was no longer smug, I complained.
- the stores were out of soap and so was I. Finally had to order from Amazon.
- I hadn’t adjusted to retirement, which I found lonely, but I had no idea! I discovered new levels of lonely. Even for a confirmed introvert, this remained over the top.
- I had a new grandchild I couldn’t cuddle. Hopefully, I’ll see her before Kindergarten.
- Another new grandchild to be born in a few weeks and the medical community seems vague about the plans. Scary.
- I’m watching the clock a lot. Is it only 2 pm? How can it only be 2 pm?
