Sanctuary

While the coronavirus rages on, I’ll be at home.

For the past week, save for one trip for gas, I’ve been staying home. My wife, terrified by the coronavirus, has been stocking up on food. We can eat food, not toilet paper. Besides, we use bidets. I went to work for a couple of days some time ago, I can’t remember exactly when now. I just know that I’ve been here and only here at my house for a while now.

During the pandemic, I don’t meet with friends. I don’t drink so I don’t go to bars. I don’t go out unless there is a compelling reason to do so. And if I go for a walk, I walk with my family or I walk alone. No mingling with others while I’m out. Social distancing is easier if you’re an introvert.

If we receive something we bought online, we are circumspect about how we handle the products. We wash our hands when we’re done opening the boxes. We wash our hands before we eat. We wipe down the handles on the carts when we do go out to shop. But lately, it’s only been my wife shopping while I stay home with the kids.

I’ve been reading the reports and it looks pretty grim. This virus is a killer. One report I found said that if the effects of the virus were unmitigated, that is, if we did nothing, they estimate 2.2 million Americans would perish. That is some really scary shit. Before this became a pandemic, I had booked a flight to see my brother. Without flight protection, that money is lost. I’m not bothered by that. I’d rather see my mom and my brother live through this than to go…