As we know the entire world is afraid of COVID-19. When I read this back someday I will remember this time and shudder. Countries are on lockdown. People are dying and sick at very high numbers and we are being told it’s coming for the United States. I don’t consider myself old, but I don’t think the world has experienced the type of lock down that looks to be happening. School has been cancelled for 2 weeks (in my district and longer in others), colleges and universities have cancelled all classes for the remainder of the year, pro sports has shut down, and NY has said that all restaurants, bars, gyms and more need to shut down. We are all practicing what they are calling “social distancing”, which means we are to stay home with our families and wait. We are to go nowhere and to do nothing but maybe take a walk, watch TV and just be. So what happens now?

Today is day 1 of no school. We spent the weekend with nothing to do. That nothingness looms ahead. The idea that we have no plans or real interaction is scary. My kids don’t get it. They tell me they are bored…and so am I! But we are nowhere close to the end. It is almost noon and we have built legos, painted rocks, colored cards for people in nursing homes, played video games and watched ipad. NOON people!!! We have so much more of the day left. Forget so much of the day….we have WEEKS of this ahead.

The unknown is scary. Although we haven’t seen too much sickness locally, we are told it’s coming. How scared should we be? Some say (like captain awesome) we are over reacting. Others say we are all going down. Maybe somewhere in the middle? I try not to panic but with the world shutting down I am scared. I am scared for my children, I am scared for me and most of all I am scared for my parents and in laws.

Will we survive this? Probably. But many won’t. Then it runs though my head that what if I bring it home to my family? What if they suffer because I went out? So I sit home. Better safe than sorry right? We will never know if staying home will have saved the day, but are we willing to find out what happens if we don’t? I’m not….that’s for sure! So I’m doing my best.

Captain’s log…..So almost noon on day one……the natives are already restless and we are all trying to keep calm. We are trying to keep busy with nothing to do. I am trying to remain positive, and when I’m not feeling positive I have to pretend for the sake of the kids. It’s where we are at. This is our new normal for the forseeable future.

Stay tuned!