Day 9 of Social Distancing ... And Day 1 of Writing
D Day was the day the NHL cancelled/postponed their season. We had heard about the pandemic in China, and Italy and Iran, but it was still an "over there" problem. We knew it would hit North America. But seriously ... it wasn't very serious. Not in my mind.
Then the NBA cancelled/postponed their season March 11. I listened to the Edmonton Oilers-Winnipeg Jets game on the radio on the way to my own rec hockey game. A lot of the talk was about the NBA season being halted. I knew the NHL would follow suit. The next day the hockey season was postponed.
That's when it hit us: This thing is big. It's not a normal virus, it's not even SARS or H1N1. This is big. They were starting to shut the world down.
No NHL games.
No soccer. Baseball. Golf. Car racing.
One by one, every sporting event was cancelled.
Other public events were cancelled.
No crowds over 500 people.
No crowds over 250 people.
No crowds over 50 people.
No crowds at all. Everyone: Stay home.
So today is Day 9. It's been enough time to get a bit of perspective on what's happening, but still quite emotional and uncertain.
I'll write a bit more about the Pandemic and how I'm processing it. That's what's immediately below.
Then I'll start writing about how to cope. It's not good that we're in a Pandemic. But I can do good things during a Pandemic. Even if I have to stay at home.
First: Thoughts and feelings
1. I have an insatiable, addictive appetite for Pandemic Information.
COVID 19 doesn't just hijack our respiratory system, it has hijacked our news system. Every day I read story after story after story about Coronavirus. How many cases around the world, how many in each country, how many in Canada and Alberta, what is the government doing, what's the latest recommendation on how to socially isolate, what meetings/gatherings/businesses are closed down now ... every story is about COVID 19. The news stories are 24/7. At first we needed information, and the situation changed every day. Now, frankly, there's oversaturation of information.
2. I experience complete uncertainty.
One thing we all know: We don't know what happens next.Does it get better or worse? How long will it last? How well will we recover? Will I catch the Coronavirus? How well will I recover?
The uncertainly ... it feels complete. Life is completely uncertain right now.
We're creatures of comfort, of routine, of control. We like to be settled.
You're standing on a floor. Suddenly, someone pulls the carpet from under you. You fly up in the air for a moment, waiting to see if you will land on your feet, or your head, or fall when you hit the ground.
What happens tomorrow? How long does this go on?
Everything is unpredictable. Insecure. Precarious. Unsure.
My stomach is floating all the time. My daughter is anxious. Some people have mood swings. So I check the news, to see if that helps.
3. I don't know what to do now. I don't know if what I'm doing is right.
Two days ago I visited some Elders to check on them, make sure they were ok. Should I have done that? Or not? I went shopping this morning. In Edmonton. I drove to Edmonton - to pick up a prescription. I didn't completely need to go to Edmonton - but there were a couple of things that were important for me there.Can I have a friend over to play cards? Drive friends to town so they can get food? Make muffins and deliver them to neighbours?
I want to help people. But I'm scared of infecting them, or making people scare that I'll infect someone.
How strictly should I practice social distancing?
I could stay home every day and just do things for me. But that seems selfish. A lot of my identity and self esteem and worth is in helping others. That's hard to do if I don't ever see them.
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