2020. It was one weird and crazy year that I never thought would exist in my lifetime. A pandemic was something I heard about in school in the history books. I never thought I would ever experience a global pandemic in my life, or how to live in one. And never thought I would understand the reality of a quarantine or stay-at-home orders.
Covid19 rolls off my tongue like something that seemed like it always existed, but it hadn't. Some people think it's a hoax and yet others know it's serious. Some because they have either had a bad case of it or knew someone who passed away from it. Through Facebook, I have actually seen people from my past, pass away in the pandemic, most of them were from the Covid19.
We are in an uncomfortable world where our lives have changed. It feels like we aren't getting enough oxygen because of the face masks we have to wear everywhere we go. Yet we endure it to not spread this virus. I adjusted by keeping a hand-held fan blowing on my face so I don't feel like I'm going to pass out or get overheated.
We have had stay-at-home orders and learned a new way of life with social distancing. People, like me, who are huggers have had to hold ourselves back with every ounce of our body so we don't reach out and give a handshake or a hug. I've learned if I extend my arms out from side to side that makes about 3ft. And if another person does the same of about 3 ft, that's equivelant to the 6 ft rule of not standing too close to people to not spread the virus if we had it and didn't know it.
We go to restuarants where before we had taken for granted the enjoyment of eating in the dining area. Yet now we are lucky if they are open and have a drive thru or do walk-in orders where we can eat in the parking lot, in the outside makeshift dining area, in our cars or just take it home. I have adjusted. I bought a tray that I keep in our car so the experience of eating in the car is easier for me; I don't drop chips and salsa on the floor like I did at the beginning. There are restuarants that allow people to eat inside at times. Most have every other table open yet sometimes they have to close because of how fast covid19 is spreading and what the government says to stay open or not.
Even church and Bible study groups have changed. Most are doing their services online and little by little I've seen them open their doors to do service inside or even outside with the intention of social distancing...but that's not always easy. Watching church online has been easier for people like me who watched church online, before the pandemic, due to major health issues. Yet seeing people not be able to go to the actual building is heartbreaking. Their ministries changed or haulted temporarily until life gets back to normal. Again things we took for granted has made us look at life differently.
We go grocery shopping or other shopping and hope no one coughs or sneezes. When people get too close it gives some anxiety because we know we could then be exposed to the virus. Masks are to be worn over the nose and mouth. At times I have even caught myself feeling overheated with the mask on, so I put it below my nose or hang it on my ear, one-sided, so I can breathe easier. And others do the same. I've learned me wearing a mask is protecting you, and you wearing a mask is protecting me. Or is my mask protecting me? and your mask is protecting you? No one seems to be a 100 percent positive in the way it works.
I worry about being near people especially my friends. I'm silently wondering Do they have the virus? Can I get the virus? Do I have the virus and not know it? Did I just give it to them? So again we aren't seeing our loved ones as much, or not at all, because of the unknown of the virus. We are told that there are so many complications that can lead to death with this virus or you can test positive for the virus, and be a carrier even though you don't have symptoms. The unknown has put fear in some.
Then there is the hand sanitizer. Before pandemic we were told not to use it as much because then we are becoming immune to the benefits of it. Now we are told to use it every time we go inside a store or touch someone or something, and to use it often. Actually we are told not to touch anyone unless we live with them. So we carry small bottles with us everywhere we go. We go into the store with our masks on and come out, putting hand sanitizer on, in the car; then we touch the bag from the store or touch the steering wheel. Did we just grab germs again? We touch the bottle of hand sanitizer and accidentally touch the lip of the container. Oh no, did we just unsanitized the sanitizer? It's all so confusing.
Some go home and Lysol their shoes when they come home from work. We can't touch our loved ones yet until they take a shower. That is still hard for me. Being newly married, I would greet my husband with a kiss and hug when he came home from work. But since the pandemic, I have to wait till he takes a shower, which is hard.
Then people put their work clothes in the hamper. Did we just expose our dirty clothes that were in the hamper already, to the virus? We do our laundry and then realize maybe we should wash our hands because we touched the dirty clothes that could have been exposed to the virus. Then we put our clean clothes in the washer and dryer. Did we kill all the germs? Who knows?
All I know is, I can't wait till this pandemic is over. Some say it might be a couple years. After that, I hope I won't be afraid to hug all my friends, give handshakes, freely eat at restaurants, and attend Bible study groups without any hesitation. I hope we will let go of the habit of putting on face masks and hand sanitizer all the time after this pandemic. Or should we let it go? Who knows?
