Living In The New World Of Covid - 19

Welcome to the new world, baby. It's a surreal moment in time, which I never thought I would experience, where people are spending time hidden away in their homes from a deadly virus, Covid-19. This virus known more commonly as "Coronavirus" has snuck into every crevice of every community via droplets spread from our saliva. It's making every single person isolate themselves, literally deleting jobs from the working landscape, creating very anxious and poor people. 

Today is rent day for all of the renters around the world and I'm sure thousands upon thousands have
not been able to pay their rent. They have been laid off, let go, working less hours, and generally not receiving an income. Everyone I know is hurting for money, social contact, toilet paper, sanitizer, cleaning supplies and surgical masks. I paid rent today, leaving me quite low on the dough, but I am lucky to have a father that insists on helping. Unfortunately, if he were to help he would need to learn the online money transfer routine. I insist that I won't visit him or my step-mom, as they are in the age range that could result in a positive test. I wouldn't want to be the one to infect my family ever.

So I have been back to work for the last couple of days, after 2 weeks off due to lack of work, and I have mixed feelings about being back. I have been properly isolating myself and keeping track of the excursions I do, nevermind my daily temperature, and getting up to go to work in this recent atmosphere leaves me uneasy. Bus riding out of my West End community to work is weird on an empty bus. I know they clean the bus but still, not every 10 minutes! Also, working with other people I haven't been around... Well, I've never been a germaphobe, and working in the cooking industry, I am well aware of germs....but this is a different level, completely.

I have not seen my partner as we don't live together. I have a pet I need to look after. He has his own employment issues, and his germaphobic characteristics are on high alert, which I respect of course. We text daily and talk about the stuff happening around our lives. I did see him two days ago when he rode his bike to my neighbourhood, and we went for a walk. It was great to see him and I do miss the sleepovers, I just wish we could be together more.

So, I posted this on Facebook:

Positive things happening during these crazy times:

1. All of those foodies have to cook, whether they use their own groceries or meal plans.

2. People who drive to work, discovered they can work from home....no cars, no traffic, no pollution.

3. People are learning about proper distancing...and how uncomfortable close talkers make us feel.

4. People are quickly learning how dirty they are.

5. Listening to the radio more.

6. Regardless of how social media has taken over the world, people are missing physical human interaction.

7. People are starting to show their true colours of greed and selfishness.

8. Other people are showing their altruistic characteristics helping others.

9. Everyone should now respect essential service workers: medical industry, retail industry, hospitality industry, teaching industry, transport industry etc...the industries overlooked by the rich and privileged.

10. The environment, although being overwhelmed with more plastics, is happier as we are all putting our trash in the proper bins and not littering.

11. People have to stop everything and have figured how insanely busy and useless their cluttered lives are.

12. The respect for nature and fresh air is renewed, after being quarantined.

13. The actual time spent with your children is now important, as it should have been always.

14. The teachers all have magical ways of teaching children and keeping them focussed on learning and homeschooling is hard.

15. Staring at a tv all day long can be boring as hell.

16. We are all capable of doing projects we put on pause for frivolous stuff.

17. Saving money is easy when everything is closed.

18. Listening to silence is nice.

19. Sleeping in is nicer.

20. Working shouldn't be the be all and end all of your day.

I may have found other positives, in a world where people are still going on about their struggles, self-isolating. If only the whole world could monetarily feel the results of spreading this virus unknowingly. The celebrities that have posted their positive test results don't need to say they are fine, they need to do the opposite. People have evolved into social media introverts, thinking nothing will hurt them. If the world sees peers, family, mentors, politicians, and celebrities struggling with the sickness - posting the reality of their symptoms - it may wake some of the population into the norm of isolation today. We are starting to see popular names dying from this virus, stories of personal struggles watching their family members held hostage in living quarters with the virus loose in their homes. Grandparents sitting alone from their families, literally dying from isolation.

These days are most definitely different from 3 months ago. The control in our lives is gone. We are living on the edge. The edge of what is all up to us. We need to learn from other countries across the world. We need to do what is not normal for us. Stay 2 meters apart, not touching, staying away from family and friends. We must do this to not spread this killer and overwhelm the hospitals. We know the virus is spreading but to slow it down, so a vaccine can be created may be the only option. So, tough love folks, SUCK IT UP and follow the rules.