Everything
changed two weeks ago. The powers that be are calling it social distancing. We
all were told to go home and stay there until the virus is controlled. Almost
overnight many of our usual activities disappeared. I didn’t know what would be
gone next.
The Covid
19, or corona virus, arrived in Wisconsin, multiplied rapidly and continues to
pervade our territory. The governor told us to shelter in place, which
apparently means to stop going anywhere except when necessary. The President
first said it was a hoax, and then he told everyone to go home. Now he wants it
to end by Easter. Hard to believe. This is a virus, not something he can order
around: “Go away, virus, by Easter or you’re fired.”
What did I
do? I went to Woodman’s for groceries two weeks ago at the start of it all and
was amazed at the huge crowd that Friday morning, with shopping carts full of
toilet paper and soda pop. I reported it on Facebook: “This morning I had a memorable and amazing
experience. I went to Woodman's this morning at 8:30 to get ahead of the
Saturday crowd. Everyone was there already. The parking lot was full. Toilet
paper in abundance was in shopping carts. Still on shelves were milk, ice
cream, lettuce and celery. Every five minutes someone announced on the PA
system that toilet paper and water were in short supply, so people should limit
purchases of them. I waited forever to check out; the waiting line stretched
through a large amount of the store's lane space. It's a big grocery store. I
stood in line from 9:00 a.m. until final checkout at 9:45. The panic is
happening.”
That was the beginning. Many businesses closed. Essential
businesses remained open. Some changed their procedures to allow picking up
products or having more of them delivered to homes. We have been allowed to go
to the grocery store as needed while taking a chance on inhaling or touching
the virus. Well, the grocery stores are still crowded, and toilet paper still
is the big item. I’m glad I have enough food for now. Television continues to
broadcast information on the spread of the virus and how to deal with life in
this changing circumstance. I believe that television and radio are indispensable
in keeping us all informed even though the ongoing reporting doesn’t help us to
relax.
Many of my usual activities ceased; no more PLATO classes,
no more volunteering at the neighborhood library, no more church and church
activities. Claudia, Mary Ann and I suspended our knitting group. Welcome to
the new home monastery.
Wow! A new way to vote! Voting in the spring election scheduled
for April 7 continued. The city of Madison offered curbside voting. I drove downtown
on nearly empty streets and parked the car in line in front of City Hall, where
poll workers walked around to assist us. We were to call the phone number in
the clerk’s office and magically get our paper ballot, then vote with our own
pen and stuff the finished ballot into the envelope, sign it and have the stuffing
procedure witnessed and signed by the nearest poll worker. The poll workers
gathered all the ballots and presumably took them into city hall. That was
pretty good.
Social distancing is not social. Staying at home alone is
not social, although for me it is not a hardship. I cheat a bit but not much. I
ate dinner on two Monday nights with John, Sherry and the kids; they are
family. Pete and I spend time together about three days per week watching
streamed movies and playing card games and board games. While alone, I spend
quite a bit of time reading and watching educational lectures from The Great
Courses and The Great Courses Plus. I continue to take daily walks, mostly in
the neighborhood but also on the Ice Age Trail and at Governor Nelson State
Park, where some people also “socially distance” together. I have time to do
some art work.
And then there is cooking. Now I have time at home to
prepare food like stew and soup. I baked bread, butterscotch brownies, nut bars
(not all the same day) and gave half to Pete. I made delicious lamb stew. Today
I am making split pea soup.
Social Distancing and Sheltering in Place are offering time
to do some of the things we haven’t had time to do in our formerly busy lives. I
hope the medical people minimize the disaster that is unfolding, but in the
meantime we can all be together separately.
