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  2020-04-28

  A Personal Reflection on the Pandemic

  In early March of 2020, it was business as usual. I had a full schedule that included a 50 hour a week job, classes at Arizona State University, friends to socialize with, and of course, my family. As the next fifty-five days (and counting) marched on, everything changed. First, my workstation, a nice area with two large monitors, printer, and scanner was reduced to my kitchen table. There I had the luxury of no commute, but I was relegated to a small ten-inch laptop and none of the other accoutrements of my office. I realized that my breaks, often taken outside, had been taken for granted all these years. More importantly, I missed the social engagement of my colleagues and supervisor. School work was the least impacted by the pandemic. I was already working on my curriculum online so there was little impact. I did miss having the option to study in a public forum, as all public areas become vacant. I think the biggest change and challenge from the current two-month quarantine revolves around my family and friends. My husband and I use weekends and vacations to go to the lake, ride motorcycles, and meet friends for dinner. Birthdays and Easter rolled by without the usual gatherings and celebrations. Churches gathered online for services; a major shift from thousands of years establishing a place for worship. Social media played a larger part in my life, but there really is not a substitute for human interaction. There is an emotional gap that is lost when the interaction is two dimensional on the phone or computer via FaceTime and Zoom Meetings. I believe that much will change once things return to “normal”. It will be commonplace to see people wearing medical masks. Social distancing (staying six feet apart) will be marked in supermarkets and malls going forward. People, homes, cars, and offices will be cleaner on a daily basis. The most positive change, hopefully, will be the inclusion and follow up on our elderly friends, family, and neighbors. Many will have similar difficulties getting out, even after the quarantine is lifted. Our newfound awareness should impact all mankind, as we work harder to take care of one another.
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  2020-04-20

  Blindsided Change

  Everything is different now. Who would have imagined? If I or anyone I know was told in the fall of 2019 that in the start of year 2020 there would be a world pandemic that placed most of the world on lockdown, we most likely would have laughed or scoffed. We would have thought it impossible. And yet it happened. And it happened quickly, dawning a new decade with an event that will most likely damage societies. What a way to start a decade. Here is to 2020. May the middle and the end be more fortuitous than it’s destructive beginning. Everyone is in quarantine within their homes in hopes of preventing the spread of the new corona virus. A subtle virus that nobody would have expected to cause a worldwide emergency. After all, there are many diseases and viruses that appear to be worse than Covid-19 such as SARS. However that’s the danger, it is so subtle and contagious, it spread from China to the United States of America in a number of weeks. There is an estimated 800,000 confirmed cases of the virus with the States. Who knows if that number is accurate. It may be larger. It may be smaller. The world has changed in a matter of weeks. People rarely go out to areas where they are likely to encounter other people. If they do dare to venture outside, it is often with a face mask, disposable gloves, and hand sanitizer. Business has never been better for Amazon as people flock to their website in order to avoid having to go to the grocery store. Netflix is probably being used more now than anytime before. Schools have shut down and transferred online, many using Zoom as their platform of communication. Most people are stocking up on supplies. My father went to the gun store and said he had never seen the place busier. Toilet paper has become a valuable commodity. There have been more people on walks in my neighborhood than ever. All trying to escape the boredom and the feeling of wasting from remaining still. My sister and I have been placed on quarantine about two weeks before everyone else. I don’t believe I have had a physical interaction that was not digital with another person besides my family in 2 or 3 months. The only place that I have been to besides my house is the National Forest in Flagstaff, Arizona where I am allowed to go for hikes for miles. It is beautifully refreshing in comparison to the same color of wall wherever you turn. I’m allowed to take my truck out for a drive as long as the only destination is my house. I like to drive with the windows down on the highway and be reminded of the movement of nature that is absent in my daily circumstance. It is interesting how affected people become by fear and paranoia. I was driving through the neighborhood when I saw a couple walking. I waved as any friendly person would. The couple glared at me as if I was a threat. As if I would somehow give them the virus while contained in my car on the other side of the street. I found this behavior odd. But then this odd behavior occurred on several other occasions during my drives. I fear what this virus will do to our country. It has already changed our daily lives. I would hate for the coronavirus to turn America into a country where friendliness is unwelcome.