Pandemic-Part 1. pandemic? Huh? WTF? Us?

March 3rd, 2020: I was getting gussied up to go to an  Election VICTORY Party. But my husband says, “You can't go to a party! Don't you know that there is a Pandemic going on?” 

I knew there was a weird virus floating around, a new strain of Flu? But I wasn't thinking about it being in our community yet. I’ve always been quite involved in the life of our community…in the trenches for almost every cause, pledge, campaign, rally. “There’s BZ, front and center.” These are my people! I want them to know that I am there for them 100%. But now here was my favorite person telling me to stand down, to “Let someone else do it.” That night I stayed home, and I was pissed! 

Over the next two weeks, we hunkered down, listening, watching the news. Slowly I grew to understand that this really was a “Whole New World.” I started to grasp the truth of what it means to respect and love someone enough to do it their way. And I started feeling a new kind of calm that comes when you just STOP!

So, when our governor said, “Shelter In,” I was ready for this new thing. (My hub always stays home, unless he HAS to do an errand.) This would be easy-peasy for him. I decided to make it into a game. What could I get done? What had I been postponing at home? I sewed a quilt and masks. I sorted photos. I baked. I conjured “clean out the freezer” soups. I discovered new recipes. We planned our Virus Victory Garden. And I watched PBS News Hour every evening, and soon fell in love with Lisa DesJardins' cat. Yes, watching cats can make all the bad stuff go away!

But how long would this last? And what lay ahead?