13 Observations After 50 Days of Quarantine

On the day this post will appear, I will have been part of the stay-at-home quarantine surrounding the COVID-19 virus right at fifty days. It started for me on Friday, March 13. From December until March, we had a major renovation at our house. This renovation closed off part of our house during this time. To say that we looked forward to the day when the work was over so we could enjoy our house would be an understatement. By Friday, March 13, much of the work was over with only a few small items to be completed. I planned to take that day off from my job so I could get a few things at the house in order.

At work though, we were in a rush to prepare things so that we could work from home in case the virus spread enough to force closing our physical office. By that Friday, I also learned Hannah’s school, fearing the virus, had already determined to close their campus then provide lessons online beginning the following week. So, on the day I intended to do a few things around the house, I found myself setting up my portable work office then prepped a portable school space for Hannah. While my work colleagues had to report to our physical office the following week, I began working from home that weekend.

After picking Hannah up from school on the afternoon of the 13th, I can probably count on both hands the number of times I have left our house. Jennifer’s job requires her to continue to report to her office so, most days, it’s been me and Hannah holding down the fort. I am grateful Hannah’s cousin has been able to help Hannah with some of her school days so far.

Honestly, I am a homebody. I have never had any major desire to do any serious traveling. Knowing I was about to be at home for an undetermined time I just knew things would be all right. Still, a month and a half into this situation, with no exact end in sight, I would like to share a few things I have observed during this unusual time.

 

~Shoes may be necessary for some walks of life but, y’all, I haven’t missed them at all.

~By the time restrictions are eased enough that I return to my work office, I hope my already-dated wardrobe has had a chance to come back in style.

~I never considered a day would come in the good ol’ U.S.A when toilet paper would be so valued.

~Fighting through morning and afternoon traffic is stressful. I don’t miss it but stress is still there. It has been replaced by trying to help Hannah complete a homework assignment for her school in between video conference meetings for work.

~I worked in local television years ago. I know full well how on-camera personalities often wore a nice blouse or suit and tie but underneath the newsdesk wore a ragged pair of tennis shorts. Knowing that during these video conferences I try not to think what others may be wearing below their neckline and hope they don’t consider what I may be wearing. In this situation, I am proud to say I don’t own a pair of tennis shorts.

~I appreciate freedom more. In normal circumstances staying at home all day but not going anywhere would not bother me. Now, staying at home all the time but knowing I should not go anywhere brings home the importance of freedom in everyday life. I hope others feel this way, too, but I have grown very concerned how some seem willing to trade freedom for perceived security.

~This is the best gas mileage I’ve ever gotten from a tank of gas in my whole life. Of course, my old, weak car battery gave out, so any savings from buying gas was gobbled up when I had to purchase a new battery.

~Hannah can be an eating machine. I never thought someone so petite could eat more than me during a day.

~That said, I am convinced more than ever after participating in video conference after video conference how the camera adds at least fifty pounds to my video image. Now, excuse me, the microwave just let me know my pimento cheese and buffalo chicken sandwich is ready.

~I miss seeing family. This includes my wife’s family who lives very close to us. I miss my blood family, too, as they are at a true distance. Just knowing traveling to see them is frowned on makes that absence more pronounced and makes the distance seem greater than what it is.

~I never thought I would ever give such consideration to washing my hands. We have been told to count to twenty with hands under warm, soapy water. Early on, I kept singing that line from the Beatles song "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," you know "Hands across the water, heads across the sky..." but I was having to sing it a dozen times just to last twenty seconds. I then moved on to the “Happy Birthday Song” but I grew tired of that since no cake was involved. “Jesus Loves Me” also made the song list. Meantime, I mostly just count while I wash my hands. I have counted to twenty. I have counted backward from twenty. I have counted to five four times. I have counted to ten then counted backward from ten. The last time I washed my hands I counted to forty by twos.

~Many of the things I planned to work on around the house on March 13 remain to be done. It is amazing how being in the same place all the time can sometimes freeze things in place.

~I miss the sweet chaos of how life was before all this came about. I’m glad though I am living through this new chaos with my wife and daughter.

Of course, there are other things I have observed during these past fifty days, much of it very disheartening. This situation is very serious and even though this post has hopefully been lighthearted not a day goes by where I am, in some way, sobered by the harsh realities of this devil sickness. I am dismayed how many now find themselves struggling financially because of sudden job loss. I don’t even want to mention how much of the media and many politicians have behaved and performed through all this. Much of all that has happened can deflate one’s spirit if it is dwelt on too long.

I have also observed how courageous many people are, especially those who brave the front lines in various medical fields. I have seen the ingenuity of good people who have made masks for others so that as many people as possible can protect themselves from this virus. I have seen teachers transform their classrooms into a form of virtual reality then trust parents with an underappreciated task. I have seen others do their jobs knowing they are in danger while also understanding the service they are providing. I have talked to my neighbors more, at a six-foot distance, of course. I have taken a short break from my workday, stepped on our deck, soaked in some sunshine and listened to the birds sing a springtime song.

As I write this, some of the things that have been closed are slowly returning to everyday life. It is still too early though to know when we can truly claim a win over this virus. That just means, tomorrow, God willing, we get up, we take a deep breath then we go about this new routine again as we pray for better days.

Stay well, I want us all to enjoy those better days.