A Coronavirus Diary: Getting Used to It
In light of the fact that so many people have died, the economy has come to standstill, and so many more have lost their jobs, it seems like a terrible thing to admit that I am getting used to the lifestyle changes imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. Of course, I can afford to feel this way because none of these things have happened (yet) to me. Also, I no longer having little kids at home that need to be home-schooled and entertained or elderly parents whose health I need to be fearful for, so even the need to self-isolate is a lot easier for me.
About the only impact on my day-to-day life is that my son, a high school senior, is now home and will likely be home until he leaves for college in August (assuming that in-person classes would have resumed in college by then). But by the time he gets up, typically between 2 and 3 in the afternoon, half my day is over; he stays up late into the night playing video games with his friends, so we overlap only by about half a day. In fact, the only times we actually interact are over dinner, and on the occasional evening when we play a board game together.
The only other real impact on my life is a very mundane concern — that my regular monthly cleaning crew has not been able to come and clean my house. Being a stickler for cleanliness, this has been something I really miss. My gardener was able to continue coming until last week and was at least able to plant my spring vegetable garden, saving me from having to figure out how to do it myself.
I am so aware of how trivial these things are in light of what other people are going through.
In the meanwhile, the situation seems to getting better, especially here in California, where the government took swift and early action. I am thankful that we have a such a smart, decisive, and articulate governor like Gavin Newsom — his daily press conferences on the pandemic inspire a lot of confidence. They say that adversity brings out the best in people, and that seems to be true of so many people who have stepped up to the plate. I am in awe of all the doctors, health care workers, researchers, and scientists who are on the front lines working to save people and find a cure for the coronavirus. On the one hand, it makes what I do seem particularly meaningless, and on the other hand, I am amazed at how balanced life is with respect to how different people feel a calling to do different things. While I have never had the calling to go into the medical profession, I am so grateful that so many smart and dedicated people had this calling and heeded it.
As of now, there is some talk of gradually easing up restrictions. I can feel this even in the weekly grocery trips I need to do. Two weeks ago when I visited the grocery, I couldn’t wait to get out of there fast enough, the atmosphere was so somber. Everyone shopped in silence, quickly and efficiently — there was no lingering. However, when I went a few days ago, there were still people wearing masks — I used a bandana as a mask — but the atmosphere was a lot more relaxed, a lot less nerve-wracking. It did not seem like I was putting my life on the line by going to the grocery.
My son also felt comfortable enough to venture out with his friends — they all drove to a scenic spot in their own cars, got out, stood six feet apart, took in the view, and caught up with each other. (The photo accompanying this post is one he took — the location was Sierra Road in San Jose.) Even an outing like this can be so critical to the mental health of our young people, who will likely be bearing the brunt of this pandemic for years to come.
In the meanwhile, I consider myself fortunate to have a home and a garden to be in at a time when I cannot step out into the world. It reminds me of a phrase in a classic Hindi song, “Har Koi Chahta Hai Ek Mutthi Aasmaan,” which translates to, “Everyone [just] wants a piece of sky.” More poetically, it also means, “A patch of earth to call your own.” I am lucky to have this patch.
