26mar-20apr2020
the 26th is the start date for this set of thoughts, not the beginning of the pandemic. that happened on 11 March 2020. slowly, this knowledge encroached upon everyday life in the form of increased handwashing protocols, the no face-touching rule, and “social distancing.” the closing of non-essential gathering places and the government proclamations to stay-at-home have, of course, impacted more.
my behaviors narrowed as time went on. at first, it was just a heightened awareness of what i touched and when i touched my face. now, i am forbidden from coming to campus where i work without express permission of the Provost. grocery runs and shopping trips in general are infrequent. hand-sanitizing after being out has become the norm. i have refrained from ordering online to avoid slowing down the delivery of items deemed essential. i haven’t been to martial arts during this time, all potential entertainment events (eg concerts, movies, tours) have either been canceled or postponed, eating out has been replaced by carry-out or delivery. i have taken little advantage exercising outside mostly because of the weather at first, but now, it’s a sad inertia. my weekly all-kids dinners have become most-kids dinners because my oldest now lives out of town. however, we have gathered virtually through a video chat and an in-person visit in a park with masks on that my wife made.
work morphed into “telework.” a laptop from work has made telework easier but it’s been a pain in the ass. wow. some people ?want ?this lifestyle… i haven’t put on work attire in a few days now -a definite perk- but the rest of it is sometimes tedious and draining. although i am better prepared for this than most, i think, since most of my work is online anyway. i went to campus once a day for the first three days – with permission, of course- to get things from my office and do some work that could not be done otherwise. but that ended. since then, i have worked here in our spare room. not being in my office where i can access physical files, look out my window, walk down the hall, or do in-person visits has taken an unexpected toll. i had no idea that i relied on openness of movement and vision so much.
my media consumption hasn’t changed much. i am checking news -especially COVID-19 information- sites more. my movie watching has increased slightly. i don’t go out as much simply because of the lack of things to draw me out and because i am mindful of creating too many contact points that could spread the virus. i do go out if i must, though: to get gasoline, groceries, pickup a meal, walk the dog, let my son drive with his learner’s permit, etc. maybe once a day. the frequency has dwindled just like everything else. we have hiked and biked some, too. i find it rejuvenating… when i can motivate. the majority of the other hikers and cyclists are very aware of keeping their distance, i have to say. possibly the most “contagious” part of any trip now is stopping to
fill up. even then, it is minimal exposure and i do keep hand sanitizer in my vehicle. in general, though, only about half of other people understand social distancing. the further away from campus i get, either physically or ideologically, the less people keep their distance. i have also noticed the lessening of traffic. this maybe the most wonderful part of this whole thing: the quiet in the evening is unparalleled except for the deep woods. it’s the silence of a sudden snowfall and i love it even though i know its origins.
the worst part, as usual, is how people are reacting. at first, there was massive disbelief. some even calling it a hoax. some still do. but there was a slow but inexorable slouching towards playing by the rules – until the unemployment rate gave a certain cohort of the US reasons to protest against the lockdown as if it were a political stance. painfully, maddeningly ignorant. on the other hand, memes supporting staying in and away from others abound. this is fine. this is good. however, some of it runs too far the other way, to open ethical smugness and sanctimonious chastisement of anyone adhering more moderately. as i described this to people early on, we are doing the societal version of preventative hand-washing. this is nothing to panic about. this is a time to be cautious and behave intelligently not to belittle or malign those that do not hole up in their caves to suit you. this kind of over-enthusiasm for these new rules smacks of cronyism and sycophantry: no thought, all loyalty and Othering. i did not post about hiking in a state park for fear of reprisals by well-meaning friends even though grocery shopping is more contagious. the misunderstanding and misinterpretation of epidemiology, contagion, and the terms used to describe them also grates on me. social distancing from social media is often necessary just to regain my composure. it can be very difficult to maintain a reasonable outlook in the face of the above attitudes.
we are having many realizations: many activities can easily become online/work-at-home, fewer than we thought require us to be physically present, online classes aren’t so bad, certain sectors of society really are more essential than others, people can still behave humanely toward one another, etc. we have moved closer to a world where our homes are cultural hubs in and of themselves. that transformation had already begun with consoles replacing arcades, streaming video replacing cinemas, online shopping nudging out brick and mortar shops, etc. COVID-19 has accelerated that process. after, maybe we’ll play more together and work more apart. we might even learn to value many of those things we’ve taken for granted or shamed like garbage collection, supply-chain workers, natural settings, and art and artists. the latter two categories are characterized by some as superfluous and frivolous, not worthy of our tax dollars or even respect. but those are exactly what we have sought as antidote to suffocation under the COVID-19 restrictions. now, Governor Holcomb has extended the stay-at-home order to May 1st. the adventure continues.