Lessons in Self-Isolation

Six months ago, my husband and I were commemorating our 50^th by visiting Paris, Rome, Greece, Turkey, and viewing the wonders of Vatican City. And, yes, part of this trip was a cruise. I was struck by the fact that our room was 5069. Wow. Could it be more perfect? Celebrating 50 years and married in ’69!

Three months later in January we began to hear reports of a deadly new flu. I am sorry that I didn’t take it seriously. How bad could this be? This has to be media-hype. I mean, really??? Don’t thousands of people die every year from flu? Don’t we have flu shots? What was happening? Every report seemed more fantastic than the previous and no two were alike. The government didn’t seem to be alarmed. But the ball had only been tossed. We didn’t see it rolling and it was headed directly toward us.

February brought escalated reports from Wuhan, lockdowns, deaths. March brought self-isolation. Now as a writer, I didn’t consider this a huge change. After all, the life of a writer is basically self-isolation, but I learned that I have a perverse streak and it apparently runs throughout humanity, at least American humanity. We don’t like being told what to do, fighting a war with the Brits two-hundred years ago to prove our point. I was no different. I mean, I did self-isolate and washed my hands constantly, but the perverse part was that all I really wanted was to leave my home and go shopping. Did I mention that I “hate” shopping? I do. Even I could not believe me!

As fear began to mount, anxiety escalated. Church was cancelled and gatherings were limited to ten. Walks to visit my grandchildren involved walking and standing outside their home and staring through a plate-glass window. I was guilty of encouraging and participating in the face/lip smudges on glass that I had previously bemoaned when my children created them in their youth. We even found some humor in teaching them to distance themselves from Nana and Papa. How far is 6’? It is the length of Daddy’s height when he lays down. I still miss the cuddles and just holding them.

Normal life became a thing of the past. A new normal began forming. The tenor of bad news slowly morphed into individuals posting episodes of joy. “My house has never been cleaner.” “My garden looks amazing.” “Watch this, it’s my kids and I singing.” My niece reads and records bedtime stories each night and posts them on Facebook. Messages of hope also began to populate Facebook and other social media. SGN, (Some Good News) began to multiply as people cloned the broadcast and spoke of their own positive experiences. Conferences were cancelled and Zoom meetings popped up everywhere. I tackled a personal challenge and built a webpage (Thank you HostGator and WPLive, whose people are brilliant and work from home). Schools closed, turning homes into virtual classrooms. Many teachers volunteered to help beleaguered parents teach New Math. Parents posted that teachers aren’t paid nearly enough. Neighbors phoned neighbors and many of the young brought needed supplies to those over sixty. (Can’t call them elderly as I’d have to put myself in that category). Walking became a new/old past-time. Conversations were held. Many big-name media companies made their content free. Internet providers provided service to students without charge. People helping people in ways that we haven’t done in decades. But the news is not all good in spite of the resiliency of humans.

Shops are closed. Many will never reopen. Many people are out of work and with no paycheck, how will they pay their bills? Feed their children? Hold their families together? Hospitals are overburdened. Healthcare workers are tasked with putting their lives on the line daily, my children among them. May God bless them all. Doctors are having to make decisions as to who will receive treatment, who will live and who will die. And, what will we do with the infected bodies? Mass cremation? I shudder at the thought. This list will go on and morph into ways we haven’t yet imagined.

Yet, even in this time of fearful change, unanswered questions, unreliable and/or constantly changing information, I see basic human decency beginning to assert itself. We have ridden the first wave of fear and have shown that we can do this. What will come next? I cannot say. I believe, however, that we will and can create a “New Normal”, perhaps a much better normal. Blue skies, hidden in Los Angeles for over fifty years, are again visible. Canals in Venice are clearing. Perhaps, we can slow or reverse global warming. Perhaps, humanity will realize the difference between a want and a need? Perhaps… perhaps? Anything is possible if we love our neighbor as ourselves (stop hoarding the toilet paper, people), care for the children, and unite, for united we will survive, rebuild, and come to thrive.

#Quarantine, #Hope, #Humanity