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  2020-04-16

  Isolation and panic

  When we were first getting word on the Corona virus and it spreading, nobody could imagine a country shut down. As reports of toilet paper hoarding, of all things, went viral, I, as a clear head, was telling people not to panic, not to give in to the fear. My work told us to work from home and so I started March 17th, 2020 working from home. The isolation is incredible. Your co-workers are gone, your book clubs, religious gatherings, meeting neighbors for coffee, mom's groups are suddenly all gone, in a blink of an eye. It is just you and your laptop. So after a few days of isolation, I decided to walk to my neigborhood grocery store for a few things. I walk in and at first everything seems normal. Then I saw the canned and bagged goods aisle, totally empty!! empty, shelves, and shelves and shelves - empty. That deep reaction is fear and panic. I had to really stop myself from panicking. As I walked around, other shelves of paper goods were all empty. Scary! I went over to the fruit and veggie aisles and those were full, which calmed me a bit. Everyone was keeping their distance checking out, so that kept me calm, too. But seeing those empty shelves really got to me because those are something you never see! This is week 4 of tele-working. I go for my daily walks, avoiding people. I pick up fast food or restaurant food or have them delivered, I visit my grocery store once a week or so. But yeah, the isolation is total.