It has been a while since I wrote one of these posts. It was Linda Hill’s idea since we have all been in a fog of trying to remember just what day it is. It is hard to believe we have been at this in some parts of the world over a year now. Exactly how it all started seems a bit of a blur now. I know in North Carolina our first restrictions started the end of March although the virus was already taking hold.
Wednesday was hubby’s birthday which we spent alone. We picked up take-out food from a restaurant and brought it home to eat. Last year, we had family coming over to celebrate with us.
The last time I hugged any of my family other than my husband was Friday, March 13th. I left the glorious week I spent with my daughter’s family and my co-grandmother in a cabin in the mountains of Georgia. We had been insulated from the world. My daughter’s family were warned to buy toilet paper before leaving Georgia because there was none in Florida.
I used the search feature and found the first time I mentioned ‘virus’ and ‘corona’ was on March 14, 2020.
We actually bought toilet paper and shipped it to my son’s family, along with children’s Tylenol because shelves were empty.
I remember watching a few people in Washington and California get quarantined as they re-entered the country. Things started to unravel and the virus spread.
I signed up for Patti Digh’s class “Writers in the Pandemic”. I took it two or three times. Sadly, she offered it again this year. This morning I went back and read some of the entries archived in the writing forum. I had to stop as I felt the tears welling up.
The flow of information was so chaotic, changing every day. There was a YouTube video a woman posted which satirically demonstrated the almost daily change in the flow of information we received. I was going to post it here, but now, a year later after the United States has surpassed 500,000 deaths from Covid, it seemed insensitive to me.
Our vocabulary has changed dramatically including terms never before a part of our everyday lives. ‘Stay-at-home, lockdown, corona virus, covid, flatten the curve, safer at home, masks, N95, KN95, Zoom, online portals, essential workers, key workers, efficacy, the rona, quarantini, social distancing, coronarita, doomscrolling…’ and I am sure there is more to come.
It has been a hell of a year. And still, after what has been experienced worldwide, there are still deniers. For those that have suffered this virus or who have lost loved ones to it, I, for one, will never forget. I have been vaccinated but am still aware that many have not been and some will refuse the shot. Now I am aware of the risk shift that happens when only a portion of people have been vaccinated.
I read that Covid-19 will be with us forever. It may require vaccinations from this point forward. A well respected epidemiologist responded to an elderly patient’s question about whether or not he should get the vaccination. His response was something to the effect that the vaccination turns Covid into a cold.
I am certainly hopeful that this year will see some improvement in the world’s response, but it will only happen if we all do our part to stay safe and keep others safe. I hope we have maintained enough of our humanity to do so.
**Edited to add: Many of our state’s long standing restrictions are being lifted today – the first time since March of last year. We do still have occupancy restrictions and mask mandates. I am hopeful people remain diligent.
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