Social Distancing

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.