Day 3: I Venture Out.

By now the shock of living during a pandemic has started to wear off.  I woke up at 6:30, caught some news, and was ready to work by 8:30.  As usual, my email was flooded with Google Classroom “so and so” turned in assignment notifications.  But I plugged in my earbuds and turned on my Pandora 80s station and got to work.

After lunch, Munchkin and I had a chiropractic appointment.  Last January I was in a minor car accident, but ended up with whiplash and concussion symptoms. My weekly visit is very important to me.  So with hand sanitizer in our pockets, we hopped in the car.  I first stopped at the bank to get some cash.  Not a large amount, just enough to pay for things this week. Second stop was for gas.  There were people on the road; more than I expected.  The supermarket parking lots were full.

It’s a bit sad, but I was thrilled to be around a couple of different people today.  There were only three in the doctor’s office.  My son and I left in less than thirty minutes, wishing them good luck.  With the sun shining, and the car’s windows open with our stereo blasting Lizzo, life almost felt normal.

Normal enough to order dinner from Jersey Mike’s.  The first thing I noticed was the Panera Bread next door had two tables blocking the entrance.  On each was a remote ordering screen.  A person stood about five feet behind the tables, presumably waiting for someone to come.  But I could walk into Jersey Mikes.  The two kids behind the counters made a show of washing their hands, twice. Then they donned two sets of gloves before making our subs. The girl chatted how she is supposed to graduate high school this year, and already distance learning is getting old.  She is scared about our uncertain future.  The tall lanky boy just chatted about how they were trying to stay open and how much he needed the money.

Now I have friends who would say I was nuts ordering take out, but I’m keenly aware of our failing economy.  I feel bad for all those who used to be able to provide for their families while working in the food industry.  At no point did I feel the food was unsafe to eat, and I felt good spending the money.  We are all in this together.

Fear does not serve us.  We serve Fear. One of my favorite acronyms is FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL.  I’m not saying there is nothing to fear in these uncertain times, but humans tend to react badly when frightened.  Taking a breath can help.

Today was a decent day because I cautiously clung to some older routines: get up early, shower and do the hair. I even put on a bit of make-up.  Instead of sweats, I put on jeans, and even that made me feel a bit better.  I took a break to go for a walk in the park.  I took care of myself by seeing the doc.  And I feel good about buying take-out.

Probably the best part of the day was watching my son with his school device open on one side, and his ipad on the other: he was logged into Google Hangout with a close friend.  They chatted with each other most of the day, and that made my Munchkin smile.  I think it provided a sense of normalcy, and it made “school” feel better.

But my best tip is to limit exposure to the news. I’m not saying don’t pay attention.  But I limited it to a half-hour this evening, and an hour this morning.  I stopped checking my phone every couple of minutes for new headlines.  That may have helped the most.

Do you have any tips on coping to share? Please write them in the comments.

Take care!