I have never gotten so tired just sitting on my can most of the day. Oh, I’m working and some of it is quite stressful, but I am not moving about nearly enough. And that makes me less effective, grumpier and tired.
Yesterday was filled with phone calls and Zoom meetings (I hate Zoom). Fellow teachers reaching the ends of their ropes, students panicking about classes that have become something other than what they had signed up for, and friends and neighbors simply running out of steam. All of them are one simply tick away from breaking down.
Maybe the only thing that is holding any of us together is understanding that there are eight million of us in the same boat. No one is enjoying this; everyone is struggling.
In many respects, I am luckier than most for I do have plenty of work to do, am even falling somewhat behind. Not only that, but my health is as good as that of anyone my age—so far. Like everyone, I scare myself into thinking every little sniffle is COVID-19 but that, perhaps, is good, for it helps me to continue to be careful.
It’s eerie, when we go out, to see all the signs of spring around but so few people out to enjoy them. This should be a time of emergence, of coming out from our winter hideaways and into new sunshine. For now, though, we are holed up as though a blizzard were roaring outside.
I guess one is, but it is silent.
One of the things I am relearning is just how much we need each other but, at the same time, always manage to get on each other’s nerves. All of us are trying to constrain ourselves, not overreacting, not sulking. We know that everyone else, well… I said that above.
Having a dog is a great blessing right now, not only for the devoted companionship but for making us get out with them and walk. Being outside with them keeps us from not feeling guilty that we are not isolating. The dogs, though, can’t understand why we pull them away from other dogs instead of standing and chatting as we used to do and allowing them to sniff each other. But they are all getting more walks which is absolutely fine with them.
It’s good we have the cats, too. But, though they do show love, we can’t use them as excuses for going outside.
Today, we broke down and ordered pizza. Oh, and shrimp parmesan. We went way overboard and now I am stuffed. There’s leftover pizza in the refrigerator though, a welcome change to our own pasta dishes and the bean concoction that I like to eat over rice but my wife likes as is. Even though we have the time for it, neither of us feels much like cooking. The only thing I’ve made, recently, is vegan cornbread. I like it, but my wife says it’s terrible—though she admits the last batch was better than it had been.
When I sat down to write today, I wanted to concentrate on all the thoughts that have been passing through my mind about education, about how students need to be treated right now, about the changes that all of this is forcing on us. But I couldn’t do it.
Guess I’ll have to save that for another day. Right now, all I can really do is simply try to get by.
I suddenly remembered the video that my mother showed me during the Chinese spring festival: The doctor was wearing heavy protective clothing, wearing a mask and protective glasses, and was sweating while taking care of the patient, because of “armed”, they do not recognize each other. So when they change their protective clothing, if they are not careful, they will be infected. These doctors have always stood bravely on the front line of fighting the epidemic, blocking us from the terrible virus and building a protective wall. While we were eating New Year’s Eve and watching the Spring Festival party, they were saving lives one by one by the pneumonia virus. The fear of the virus holds us firmly at home. Thinking of the doctor who didn’t ask for a reward and was not afraid of danger, I really worried about them. Many doctors are contagious, and there are still countless doctors who have been sent to the front line of the epidemic. Grandpa Zhong Nanshan, who was in his eighties, introduced his team to study the virus day and night, hoping to launch a special medicine as soon as possible. Years, but he still made the greatest contribution to the control of the epidemic with others. I admire their bravery and persistence. In this new year, they have given us the courage and methods to correctly face the epidemic. It is those from the end of the year to the new year, they have been persistent and do their best to fight the virus.
I am grateful, I am grateful for the efforts of doctors all over the world; thanks for the hard work of medical researchers. Thanks to people from all walks of life for fighting the epidemic, it is their hard work that has brought us a healthy society.
All over the world… that’s key, isn’t it.
I had a fever yesterday. The virus may cause a fever. So I was worried about myself and took a little cold medicine and vitamins. After getting up today, I feel much better. This made me feel that the virus is very close to us. Hope everyone stays safe
All of us are going to think every little cold or fever is COVID-19 for a long time. Stay safe!
It has been very warm recently, and spring has arrived, but we cannot go out and enjoy the breath of spring. My friend told me yesterday that her dog is sick. My first reaction turned out to be whether her dog was infected with coronavirus. But during this special period, she told me that no pet hospital is open. But her dog was already very weak, not eating or even drinking water, and had no strength to stand up.
My family and friends in China knew the number of coronaviruses diagnosed in the United States sooner than me, and they were very worried about me in the United States. What can I do? I can only stay at home without going out.
I often read blogs, and some people say that the number of diagnoses in the United States will reach 1 million. As I prayed that the United States would get better soon, I was also worried about this matter.
After we had the online class, my friends started to discuss the problem of increased assignments and difficulty of the exam. I started to worry about GPA this semester. I hope it all ends soon.
Let’s all hope it ends soon. Just do what you can for school and don’t worry about grades right now.
I agree. The work load has been overwhelming, i can’t even concentrate on all my assignments. A friend of the family recently passed due to the virus and now my son’s grandmother has tested positive. I stopped watching the news because it was giving me a lot of anxiety. I just want it to end.
Take things as easy as you can. Don’t let any of this overwhelm you… and deal with your family first.
I was just saying to myself the other day how much I miss having a routine, for me, being home means being inactive since I’m so used to being on the go. To cope, I have been trying to get back into old hobbies, I just rekindled with crocheting. Homework keeps me busy and feeling productive and so does cleaning. I recommend everyone take at least one self care day this week, to help with any stress that could be occurring during this tragic time.
We need to listen to each other, especially to the recommendations, like yours, that others make.
Spring has arrived, I sit in front the window of our living room everyday and see the beautiful flowers on the trees. Traditionally we celebrate spring at this time every year but this year it is safe to be at home and keep the social distancing. I was randomly going through some old photos of my phone and I found some photos that me and my family took last year in the Brooklyn botanic garden in April. This year it is safe for us to just be at home and keep our family safe out of the risk of corona virus.
I miss the BBG as well. It’s a wonderful place and my mother volunteered there for years. I’d be it is beautiful right now.
Yes, it is so beautiful at this time of the year. The garden is filled with beautiful and colorful flowers.
That is a clash, to me, each time I walk the dog. Sitting at home and listening to the news, everything is awful. Outside, spring is upon us and gorgeous.
passed couple of weeks I had a fever of 103. First thing that came to my head was covid-19 due to how exposed i am especially at my job. Turns out it was just a seasonal flu. Stay safe guys
You, too! We especially need people like you to remain healthy. Thanks for what you do.