It's a Whole New World...

Captain's Log:  Day 1 - Home Base - Isolation due to Coronavirus

It is the end of the world as we know it. What better time to dust off the ol' blog and write something? To tell the truth, I'm scared. We've never experienced anything like this and I'm not sure how the world is ever going to recover from it.

Two weeks ago we all thought that being diligent about washing our hands was enough. We thought that it was just some new strain of flu that gets hyped up every election year. We survived all the others, what would make us think we wouldn't survive this one? Well, we've never seen anything like this before and we can't imagine the destruction and devastation it will do if we don't slow the spread.

We are all at risk. We all need to do our part to get through it with the least amount of casualties. We all need to isolate as much as possible in order to slow it down and give ourselves a fighting chance. There is just too much at risk.

Things got surreal very fast. First they cancelled NBA games, then all sporting events, then my hometown canceled school for a MONTH. Seriously? A little extreme? No, it's not. We saw what it was doing to our sister city in Italy and we tried to get a head start on saving lives. We didn't want what was happening there to happen here.

Last weekend I went to a wake with many family and friends. I had been avoiding shaking hands or touching anyone but we did what we always do at wakes - we hugged the grieving and people we hadn't seen in years. We were careful to wash our hands and not touch our faces but is that really enough? This past weekend we found out that the son of the person who died, who we all hugged, was sick with the flu and had coronovirus symptoms. He was unable to get tested so we don't know if he has the virus but we also don't know if he doesn't. He is feeling better now but we still have no idea if we are now carrying that virus or whether we will recover if we get symptoms or pass it on to our loved ones.

I was so frustrated seeing friends out at restaurant and bars over the past weekend acting like they didn't have a care in the world. Trying to tell me it was all media hype and political sabotage from people wanting to crash the economy. I asked them how that was possible considering what was happening in China, Italy and across the world. We practically had to tie my in-laws down to get them to stay at home. They have a full social calendar and are out at some function or another almost every day and night of the week. It took a while but I think they are starting to realize the seriousness of it now that Disney parks are closed, restaurants and liquor stores are closing, construction is being halted, all events are being cancelled. Flights that are months away are being canceled. This is some serious sh!t!!

People started panic buying toilet paper, hand sanitizer and everything else they could get their hands on. The supermarket shelves are empty in my neighborhood (just outside of Boston). There is no toilet paper, no fresh vegetables, no chicken, no canned vegetables, except 2 cans of lima beans and 2 cans of asparagus. There were 2 bags of frozen pearl onions in an otherwise empty freezer section. The soup isle was bare except for a bunch of Manhattan chowdah. Bostonians would rather starve to death before eating that. There isn't a food shortage or toilet paper shortage but they can't keep anything in stock because many people are too selfish to consider the next person's needs.

When I left work last Friday I got home and had a panic attack. My anxiety had been increasing more and more over the past couple of weeks and skyrocketed on my commute home Friday. There was no way I was going to be able to get back on the train and commute to work with this virus spreading like wildfire. I took the picture below during rush hour Friday morning. I was the ONLY person on the platform when I usually have to fight my way onto a crowded train. It was spooky. Thankfully my office made the decision to allow us to work from home and I'm so relieved. At least I will be able to continue to earn a paycheck while we're locked down for the foreseeable future.

I hope and pray that you are all safe although I know it is unlikely that anyone will actually read this since I haven't written anything in YEARS but it feels a little better getting it out.

I'm thankful I am stuck at home with someone I love. I hope we still like each other after this is over. Be safe my friends and do your part to get us all through this. Act like you already have the virus and don't want to spread it to your loved ones because if you don't you probably will.

Check on your neighbors, especially the elderly. Offer to pick something up if you are going to the store. You don't have to have contact with them. You can leave it at their door and then call them to tell them it is there. Be kind to one another. Take the time you will have to work on projects you never seem to have time for. Get the spring cleaning done early, clean out the closets, learn a language, catch up on your favorite shows, read a book, take a nap, resurrect your blog that you haven't touched in years (hi :o), find a new show on Netfix to binge watch, start an exercise program, do something to stay sane and healthy.

Please stay safe, socially distance yourself as much as possible, isolate if you can and take this serious because it is deadly serious. I pray we all make it through to the other side.

Peace and Love
~MB