As most everyone knows, there's this thing called Coronavirus*. And, I considered not mentioning it at all, because frankly, I'm over it. Not literally, but mentally and emotionally. It's really in-your-face and we probably all could use a reprieve where possible (such as a random blog that about 20 people know exists).
But I am an archivist. I spend my days working with the historical record. And there is always a certain level of frustration when someone has omitted historically significant events from their record**. I'm pretty sure there is going to be a circle for those people somewhere in the Archivist's Inferno. So, in an attempt not to land there, and because someday I will tell someone's grandchildren about the Great COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020 and drive them up the wall, I am joining the masses and talking about the Coronavirus. But just this one time.
Now, like I said, I'm kind of over it. The new routine at work in the past two weeks has become get to work, turn on computer, engage in or overhear 2 hours of Coronavirus-related conversation at some point during your day...". And the last few days of last week were, "show up, start working, Coronavirus conversations, and figure out what credence to give to rumors about coronavirus-related decisions." It's exhausting. Honestly, how many times can you have the "Why toilet paper?" conversation? There's really not a lot of substance to it and yet it keeps on happening. Seriously, there is going to be an entire web archive just on TP during the Coronavirus outbreak. Sheesh.
Also, the "let's not panic" or the "let's all freak out conversation" is getting old. It follows a very distinct pattern: "It's so scary. I heard..." "Well, something I read said..." "But on the news they were saying..." "Did you hear about...?" And in the end, no one really knows anything except that it's a contagious illness that you may or may not know you have, it's more deadly than some things and not as deadly as others, and the best advice is to practice all the good hygiene our mothers, fathers, siblings, neighbors, and basically every sane human being ever have been teaching us since we were old enough to know what a sneeze was. I personally feel like I'm set to continuous repeat in every COVID-19 related conversation. I'm bored of hearing myself, guys.
The plus side is that the Coronavirus (hereafter referred to as CV19 because I'm lazy and I'm tired of typing it out every time) conversation has replaced the politics conversation. Because that one was definitely getting old***. But, instead of fixing the problem by diversifying our conversations, we just replaced the topic. It's like when everyone started hating on Comic Sans as a font. Instead of picking better situation-specific fonts, they all just defaulted to Papyrus, which might be the only font worse than Comic Sans for general purpose usage. Humans. You gotta love them.
I recommend that during this crisis, we all stockpile conversation ideas so that we are prepared for the next time around. (To Do list: come up with other conversation topics besides politics, plagues, and weather).
On a personal level, I really can't get all that fussed about CV19. I'm not particularly panicked and honestly, don't completely understand the panic everyone else is feeling. I do get that people who are particularly vulnerable should be concerned and I want them to scream in terror if I sneeze in their vicinity. Please, do! I don't want to kill you! I get that it is a highly contagious illness and we don't want the whole world sick, but it does kind of seem to me that the level of terror outweighs the real threat? Although, in fairness, I have a very low quota of emotional capital to invest in this sort of thing, so I'm probably not the best judge of things. I am in favor of just shutting down the globe for a few weeks because, I think we are all exhausted from life and we need a break. CV19 seems like as good a reason as any to give us one. Just let me travel somewhere with nieces and nephews first, because being quarantined in my house alone for extended amounts of time? That won't end well. But a break in which we have Ticket to Ride tournaments, movie parties, and play with Duplo dragons or have extended games of "What If"? I'm so in.
I think my biggest worry is the economy. And not "the economy" as in some nebulous abstract thing, but as in the people who can't miss work and still have a place to live, the businesses that will die if they don't have customers, the people who will face very real and lasting suffering not because they got CV19 but because CV19 shut everything down. It feels like a no-win situation. How do I measure which is worse, me doing life as normal or me shutting down in panic mode (minus the panic because, again, I'm not panicked).
In terms of the lived experience, apart from the daily and routine CV19 conversations, the excessive news coverage****, the inundation of emails from every business I've ever interacted with telling me what they are doing in regards to CV19*****, not going to church today******, and bringing my laptop home over the weekend on the very slim chance that the situation may change over the weekend and I'll have to work from home, and of course, playing Pandemic the board game (how can you not), it is very much life as usual. Work, home, figuring out what an adult is supposed to eat, waging war against clutter, being exhausted, and trying not to cause damage to my fellow human beings on a daily basis.
So, there you have it.In these historic times, people do what people have always done: live life.
*I'm not ruling out the possibility that somewhere on this planet is a rock where no one has any inkling that Coronavirus is a thing. If that rock exists, I want to find it and vacation there for a while. After self-isolating for the recommended period of time, naturally.
**How do you not mention World War II, ever? The thing lasted for 6 years! It messed up everyone's life! Come on! Just one mention. One. Even the besotted teenage girl managed to pull in history when she wrote to the effect that it was a momentous day not because of the Egypt-Israel war (Suez Crisis? Maybe the 6 Day War? I'd have to double check, and it's all at work) but because HE noticed her.
***I mean, it started hard core on 1 January 2019 and has been going on ever since. Not a whole lot has changed. In essence, the conversation is: politics suck. So, we had over a year of discussing primaries before the first primary even happened. I'm done with my primary, and I have another 3 months until they even decide a candidate, and another 8 months before I can vote. That is SOOOOO much time in which there is absolutely nothing I can do about anything except talk. I'm beyond over it.
****It is too much. And you might be asking, is there anything else to cover though? Yes. Yes there is. Syria is still a disaster, and getting worse. Russia is changing their constitution so that their president can stay in for another 12 years potentially. Remember Yemen? Venezuela? Kashmir? Yeah. The world is still happening. Although, if you are wanting to do something horrible or shocking, now is probably a good time. No one will even notice. Apart from that, there really isn't a whole ton of new news about CV19 on a minute-ly basis, yet that is how fast the news stories are coming out. Nothing helps people stay calm and rational like talking about a thing nonstop. Oh, people. Breathe.
*****a clothing boutique? seriously? My dentist, yeah, I get it, especially as I have an appointment this week, but an online clothing boutique?
******This is it guys. We've been practicing for over a year the "home-centered, Church-supported approach". Now it's go-time.
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