Covidaversary

Katrina scarred me forever. Caught coming back from vacation, I was not ready for the effects of this storm all the way to Vicksburg. We did not have the things we needed to weather that storm and it was scary. I did not have enough gas in my car. I did not have adequate food or water stored. I did not have batteries to power things that become invaluable during a prolonged power outage. 

Once things were back to normal, in Vicksburg at least, I vowed never to be caught like that again. We had gas logs installed for an alternate source of heat. I began to store jugs of water. I keep the pantry stocked with things that can be eaten cold. There are always extra loaves of bread in my freezer. I have a small power station to charge the gadgets or run a small fan. I keep at least half a tank of gas in my car.  And, yes, I always have extra toilet paper! 

Little did I know that all my preparations were going to be put to the test in March of 2020!

Like many, before I knew how this virus was transmitted, I was afraid to venture out to the grocery. I used "Instacart" for the first time. The shopper was only able to find about 1/4 of the things I wanted. She sent me pictures of the empty shelves and I was shocked. Thankfully, most of those things were "wants" and not absolute necessities. 

Once it was determined that the virus was airborne and that there were steps to potentially minimize the spread, I began going to Corner Market and CVS during "old people" hours. Carefully I got what I needed for a week so that I would not have to return until the next "senior" day. As someone considerably younger than my 90+ year old friends, I also became the self designated shopper for them. The sweet ladies at CVS would let me get two packages of toilet tissue so that I could divide it up between my friends who did not need to be out and/or who no longer drove. 

The quarantines were also not as bad for my husband and myself as they were for many. We are retired with a regular income. We are also used to spending a good bit of time at home and have hobbies and interests that keep us occupied. I discovered that I really do like to cook. I began making cards for my friends in nursing homes that I was no longer allowed to visit. Bill and I began watching old TV series that we had missed by either being too young or too busy at the time to watch them. What's my Line? and Perry Mason quickly became favorites. I can't imagine how difficult this would have been had we been younger and more active. 

The hardest part was losing friends. One of the first casualties was a dear friend and I miss her to this day. While some sneered at the death rate, to me, too many of those souls were people I knew and cared about. Others are still having issues months after having the virus and some will never be the same again. 

Hindsight is 20/20. There are things that could have been done differently. But, when dealing with a novel virus, people had to do the best they could with the information they had at the time. As knowledge improved, so did ways to deal with COVID-19, including the unprecedented miracle of a safe and effective vaccine. Contrary to some beliefs, it was not rushed. The groundwork has been ongoing for almost a decade. COVID-19 just put the theories into practice. 

There are some things that I hope will remain in place after COVID-19 is a bad memory. Extra cleanliness in public places has been lovely. Seeing people wash hands for 20 seconds while singing "Happy Birthday" under their breaths is reassuring. I use the chorus of a song by the Chainsmokers called "Closer" myself. I plan to wear a mask if I have to go to the pharmacy when I am sick and possibly contagious, and hopefully it won't be considered weird. I don't like crowds or a lot of people too close to me on a good day, so I hope some of the distancing becomes "habit" to some extent. 

Happy Covidaversary.