There’s a Whole World Out There After Covid-19
Don’t let this turn you into a shut-in
I read reports of excited homeowners rushing to Home Depot and Lowes — they’re redecorating and updating their homes. There’s a pandemic going on and so they can work at home…or not. These are the fortunate ones. Instead of an annual cruise, why not put in a garden or even a pool? Get rid of that ugly couch! Change the living room into an office…
These are great ideas. Why not make your home the best it can be especially if you’re going to be there almost 24/7? But let’s not, if we can, make the shut-in permanent.
My husband and I used to teach a class at church to new members. One section focused on attendance. We can watch the service online, I told them. But nothing replaces your physical presence. There are times when you must be there. The experience is lacking without you.
Why is this? There are times when someone looking for direction or mentorship will show up. Perhaps they are in recovery, from drugs, from an abusive relationship, or bad parenting. You, in your uniqueness, may have recovered. Only you can talk to them with authority.
You can tell them how you overcame your issues and became a success story. Or at least, you came to some level of equilibrium. But you can’t tell them this when you’re at home, on the couch, eating the leftover poundcake with a side of chips…
You don’t have to be in recovery
We are so social. I don’t think I realized it until now. The other night, we went to our first social function in months with the entire family. It was a backyard showing of Mulan, where temperatures were taken, masks were worn, and families sat together.
We collected our food with our family groups — and yet, this contingent of families formed a togetherness that we all longed for…and it felt so good. I’m not a loner. I like being around people. The pandemic pulled the truth out of me.
The owner of the house said thank you so much for coming…let’s do this again. From 6 feet away, of course. I think she meant it. If we had said no, we would have been missed. And we would have missed a treat ourselves. Your presence is important to other people.
I hear you, Dr. Fauci. No crowds. Avoid internal rooms with poor ventilation. I read about an incident where one infected person who sat near an air conditioner spread the coronavirus to twenty-seven people in a Starbucks in Seoul, South Korea. The only ones who avoided infection were the employees, all of whom wore a mask.
Don’t go to bars. I feel for bar owners. A friend of mine owned two of them in Detroit — and they have my sympathy. I’m so behind…I didn’t realize how popular they were and now I feel I’ve missed something. The closest bar I ever get to is the TV show Cheers and the Cheesecake Factory. That tells you how much fun I’ve missed.
But don’t go to bars…you ever notice that when a person drinks too much the first thing that goes is good judgment? There’s no way someone like that will keep a mask on. And every single drunk I ever knew talks to me almost in my mouth. They get real close…so they can tell you a secret (usually someone else’s secret) or the answer to world peace. After more than five drinks they’ll tell you the code to their ATM card.
The next day they don’t remember a thing.
Don’t make being shut-in a habit
The COVID-19 is temporary. Repeat this to yourself so that you understand that the cuddling and the huddling and the online stuff is not the future. It’s just a holding pattern until real life comes back. Don’t retreat from what life has to offer.
You may not believe this, but people want to see you.
Some people never missed a step. They tell me that the virus will go away after the election. But I’ve got one friend who lost his 61-year-old father, and another who lost her 43-year-old brother and a cousin who was also in his 40s. That’s the reality; the snarky election comment is a feel-good, head in the sand fantasy. But why argue?
Our only job is to make sure that we’re not one of the additional deaths that will pop up in the next four months. The number we have today is supposed to double.
Wear a mask.
However, this is not just related to personal pursuits. Many companies are not going to allow employees to stay home. For example, Google is developing a billion-dollar campus for its employees in New York City near the Hudson.
They already have 7,000 employees, and will add thousands more at the new “Google Hudson Square.” In another location less than two miles away, they paid 2.4 billion for the Manhattan Chelsea Market building. It will eventually be filled up with even more employees.
Apple already has headquarters in Cupertino, California, but its also developing another facility in Austin, Texas for $1 billion. These are just a few examples. Amazon is also expanding. Other companies will follow the leaders.
Some people will be able to continue to work at home, but for others, this is just a temporary stint. Many of them actually want to go back to the office. They miss the camaraderie, the meetings, and the synergy of working together in person to get things done.
So while thousands of employees are at home now working, keep in mind that there is some serious planning going on in the background. In the long run, they will be back.
It wasn’t all bad.
Make plans for the future
2020 is pretty much shot. It has honestly felt like that since Kobe Bryant and his daughter, along with their friends, died in a helicopter crash. Yeah, I know.
The coronavirus was brewing in the background, the NFL canceled its season (some people didn’t realize how serious the COVID-19 was until that moment), there are fires in northern AND southern California, hurricanes in the southern gulf, I haven’t gotten some of my mail which should have arrived by August 24th (I know that’s trivial to you but important to me) and supposedly, the flu is next to arrive on its annual visit. AND the coronavirus is supposed to spread even more this winter.
Whew!
But 2021 and 2022 are still open. Make tentative travel plans. Don’t let this cripple you from experiencing all that life has to offer. Italy, France, Spain, and Bermuda (me, me, me!) are all calling your name. Much of the world won’t always ban us from traveling to their countries.
And have you always wanted to go to a cosplay or anime convention? Me neither. But my twins do — so I will be looking. I may hold off on a cruise for a while though…it all depends on the progress of a vaccine.
And so what if you are in shut-in mode? In 2030, when you look back, what will you have accomplished during this time? Think about it.
I’ve got a bucket list to finish. And ain’t no stinking coronavirus going to stop me now…