Days Of The Pandemic (April 2020)

Okay...so...there's some kind of global pandemic going on. Maybe you've heard about it, although I wonder if anybody reading this in the future will remember or have knowledge of the great 2020 COVID-19 outbreak that consumed the whole world and caused mass chaos and confusion. A month ago, it seemed disconcerting, but I never would have believed it would lead to a world-wide call for isolation. Perhaps I had underestimated the virus' dangers, but then it's hard to gauge when half of the media shrugs it off and the other half sounds the doomsday alarm. It's clear now that the danger is great, caution is warranted, and some days in seclusion may be a small price to pay for a better outcome.

For me, it's a surreal experience on account that my workplace had most of its workers stay at home until the pandemic abates. Over the past...what is it now, eleven days? Twenty days? A month? See, it's hard to even remember or count the days I've stayed at home--the days crawl by one after another, each one bleeding into the other until it all becomes a homogeneous blur. There is something to be said about the typical work week--aside from giving goals, a sense of purpose, and productivity, work does make each day count for something and it's easier to keep track of the weeks. It gives stronger divisions between Monday, Tuesday, all the way to Friday. While I may vie for free time every evening and weekend, too much free time has the funny effect of making one wish for more work.

Fortunately, it's not like I'm going insane at home or anything. As an introvert, the pandemic offers an ample time and space for me to take care of things I've wanted and needed to do. Writing is the biggest thing--I don't have to squeeze time in evenings or between engagements, I can take my time in the mornings, at night, or whenever. With Camp NaNoWriMo going on now, I've succeeded in making progress on an old project, at a rate of 2,000 words a day (and that's good progress). And yet, I still have time to watch a ton of movies (including an impromptu marathon of 10 Star Wars movies on 4K discs, plus most of their extra features), play an occasional video game (I've finished the campaigns for Doom: Eternal and Rage so far), reading (I'm halfway through Arthur C. Clarke's Time's Eye right now), television (that Tiger King show is strangely fascinating indeed), and playing with Legos (yes, I do that). All of that, in addition to actual work around the house--I finally took the time to organize some closet space, the bathrooms, and take care of the yard. There's still plenty to do--one day I will clean my garage and re-organize my libraries, but there's seemingly no rush to do so. I do have a substantial amount of media to play, and writing Heathen will make every day feel productive. If I ever feel cooped up, I can always take a walk around the neighborhood (and the weather has been decent lately, despite one or two nights of thunderstorms and some hot days).

All of this is only possible because I have electricity, water, and Internet--the modern conveniences remain up despite the struggles of the larger economy, so we have probably a greater advantage in this age than people have had in previous pandemics. I'm grateful I don't have to go out and hunt for my own food or anything. Chances seem slim it would get to that level (but writing post-apocalyptic fiction might make a person wonder sometimes). In my neck of the woods, I see other families enjoying the same conveniences--I have a feeling the pandemic is rather light in our area. Considering the plight places like New York are suffering from, I am grateful for everything I have.

I remain uneasy though, knowing that the virus could affect me at any moment. Maybe I'll contract it in the future, maybe I already have and don't know it. Maybe I never will. The uncertainty has caused me to wash my hands a lot more frequently and for longer, in addition to just staying the heck home. I also can't help but to wonder how society will evolve from all this (and I have seen it stated repeatedly that pandemics in history have huge repercussions--something to consider for future fantasy stories). Folks are always saying that things will never be the same again--it's hard to see right now whether the future will be any better or worse in reaction to the virus.

For now though, I find myself waking up day after day as if every day is a Saturday. I'll shamble about to make a breakfast (hot, cold, anything goes) and lots of coffee. Write for a few hours. Watch movies. Play a game. Dig through those legos. Clean or fix something. Take a walk. Skype with people. Blog. It's all mundane, and I wonder if this is what it feels like to be retired. None of it is bad, and it's nice to have time to take care of the various wants and needs I have at home. I do have to say though, it will be quite exciting to return to work in another month or so.

Things to do.