I haven’t written about the virus much yet. I don’t know why. The subject is so vast, so important and so frightening. Nathan, who is the Emergency Preparedness Safety Manager for the UnityPoint-Meriter system, is living coronavirus day in and day out, and we talk about it a lot. I left my job because of the virus: I didn’t feel safe in the store, and so I decided I might as well retire now; I wanted to write, craft and start this blog. Wearing masks does not bother me at all. I understand the vital importance of it, and I do not find them onerous. I do not understand people who object to them so strongly, when it is proven to be so effective. I wear them because I value and honor the life of all beings.

(Plus, I have some really cute ones. Might as well make a fashion statement).

Being retired, I also find sheltering at home to be no big deal. I am a “home body” anyhow. I also don’t have kids at home, though I sympathize with people who are dealing with so many decisions and plans and changed plans for kids going to school. I just feel, that it should have been all online, for the highest safety. I also understand that I’m not in their shoes and don’t have to deal with kids at home needing to be entertained and educated. I wish them luck.

I truly feel that colleges should not have attempted to be in person. You know those kids are going to flout the rules every chance they get, and get sick, and spread it in the community. That’s exactly what has happened in Dane County. Then, if they do indeed decide to send the kids back home, they’re going to carry the virus with them, spreading it throughout the state and country.

I sound like a cranky old lady. I’m just concerned, that’s all. I’m concerned and tired of the whole ordeal, though I know I need to be patient and trust science. That’s another thing, though. So many people, some of them in positions of power, are sowing distrust of our science organizations, that used to be trusted fairly universally.

Will I get a vaccine when it comes out? That depends. I will want to hear from the scientists that it has been thoroughly vetted. I would mistrust any that were rushed, especially for political reasons.

I wrote that poem, Six Feet, about the virus. I have also written a short story about it. I will post it here sometime, I just want to polish it up some more. I need to, I think, write more about it, both here, in my journal and in my poetry and prose. This is a momentous time, and I feel obligated, as a writer, to capture it. Stay tuned.

What are your thoughts and feelings about how the coronavirus has impacted your world, or the world in general? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below.