March 16, 2020

A world pandemic is changing everything.  On a global scale, healthcare systems are being overwhelmed, people are getting sick, and some are dying.  Two terrifying things about Covid-19 are that little is known about how it plays itself out in the sick person and that it spreads exponentially.  In addition, like most virulent diseases, it is most deadly in at-risk populations like the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.  All of this is widely known now, and drastic measures are being taken to contain the virus and to identify and care for those who have it.  Throughout the country, public places are closing, events of all sizes are being cancelled, the stock market is plunging, and people are being asked to stay home.  The full effects of all of this on our economy and our way of life are yet to be determined.  There you have a brief summary of the news.

On a more personal level, my way of life is changing.  There is a difference, of course, between staying home because you want to and staying home because you must.  So far, the psychological hardship has not been too profound for me, but it feel it baying at the edges of my consciousness.  I’ve always been pretty good at fighting any tendencies toward depression, but the struggle has already been real the past couple of years because I relocated to Albuquerque from my longtime home in Indiana.  While my reasons for doing so were solid – nearness to family, starting my life over at 70 has been challenging.  I left behind many family members and friends and a happy and active social life and community involvement.  I’ve been very diligent at working to make connections in my new home, but it takes time, hard work, and good fortune.  Now, all my outside activities have come to a standstill because of the virus.  My age puts me among the at-risk populations, so I am taking the shelter in place mandate seriously.  While all this sounds a little whiny, I have to say that I’m finding the challenge rather interesting.

For example, here I am writing in my blog for the first time in several years! (I must admit that I’m rather embarrassed about that lapse.)