The Covid Diaries --Day 2

Safety Choices

There's a crap-ton of information floating around for all to enjoy regarding the Coronavirus.  The news is sensationalized and the political debates are depressing. Not that I don't advocate, but I do believe there are actual professionals, expert in areas of study where I am not, knowing a thing or two about their profession, for someone like me to learn from and analyze the data and hopefully make an informed decision. All I really know at this point is I don't want the Rona. If my kids get an allergy, I freak the fuck out. So, there's that. Here are a few of the facts: We are being ordered to stay home. That means if you are not an essential employee needing to report to work and unless you are traveling to pick up essential items, you need to please stay home. I cannot go into my office to work. The kids have no school. 

These are some of the extreme and irresponsible safety choices we have made and the reasons why. First, we are not socializing. I miss my running buddy. She just returned from being away from me for a year and we were finally back together running, right before this pandemic hit. Running is a major part of our lives. We ran a few times together, staying 6 feet apart, until a couple weeks ago when the number of infections and death count continued to rise, we decided it's best we run solo, for the safety of our families.

I'm fortunate in that I live in a neighborhood full of walking trails and paths, however, everyone else has the same idea of 'getting out' and these once naked paths are now full of families, strollers and dogs. I'm forced to run in the streets where I'm a bit more able to distance myself.

I mentioned the friend thing regarding my children in my previous post. We are not allowing our kids to visit friends. They do have access to call and communicate, but not visit in person. The reason is not so much the kids but we don't know where their parents have been. I have friends on the front line, working in health care. We ourselves could be infected and not even know it. 

My husband continues to golf. The golf club is so busy because it's one of the few places not closed. I'm not trying to throw him under the bus BUT HELLO! He says he's staying six feet apart. Fine. While he's out, he will pick up the groceries for me. I'm the cook. I'm the shopper. I always get the groceries, but right now I'm so scared that I haven't gone out at all. I'm embarrassed to admit it but I am. I'm also a control freak and surprised I'm allowing him to get groceries because I can't monitor what he's touching and how he's shopping, but that's how scared I am.
Speaking of husband, he's a chemist. So we have crazy debates about how I don't like chemicals like Mr. Clean in my house and he 'rationalizes' the actual chemical makeup.  I don't care. To me everything is cancer causing. Anyway, he just bought a farm animal medication to combat Covid-19.

Ummm, yeah, Ima have to take a hard pass on this. The kids and I are not taking this.

I think you can easily lose yourself in the craziness, the changes and inconveniences. I know people cope with change in lots of different ways.  The first few weeks didn't seem to be a big deal but this week my 10 year old had a melt down, crying, telling me he missed his friends. Heartbreak. Yesterday, the 13 year old informed us he was the only teenager on the entire planet not allowed to hang out with his friends. This was shocking to us as parents (cue the stair stomping and door slamming.) Believe me, I know, if I was living in this as a 13 year old I would have been giving my parents hell.  This will be life changing for the young people. I try to remind them, this is incredible! It's devistating that people are dying, it's awful. This will somehow change your character and I truly believe only for the better.