In my post of March 6, I wrote about the
importance of hand washing and using hand sanitizers. This was just before our
flight to Australia, and we did take those particular precautions. However, had
we been able to predict the extraordinary escalation of the coronavirus, we
would not have set out on our trip at all. You can be sure that on our flight
back home across the Pacific ten days ago, we practiced handwashing and
sanitizing with even more diligence. Over the three weeks that we were away,
the world became a different and far more scary place.
Within our new reality, a new vocabulary
has also sprung up. Before the onset of the coronavirus, I don’t think that I
ever used the words self-isolation or quarantine. Yet, today I
am sitting in my house in self-isolation. Other terms have also become part of
our everyday vocabulary. Educators and students alike are navigating through
the maze of technical and computer terms as they struggle with on-line
learning. Health care professionals talk about medically safe masks, gloves and
ventilators. One of the key terms these days is social distancing.
For some of us, and more especially perhaps
for those of us with limited sight, this last can be a difficult one. I am by
nature a huggy, touchy type of person and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
I frequently hold the arm of a guide when I am out walking. I tend to stand
more closely with people in order to “see” them better. As for touching...well,
I often touch things in order to confirm what they are. For instance, instead
of looking down onto the meat packages at the grocery store, I will pick up the
package in order to feel and assess its weight. I have a lot of new learning to
do!
We are all struggling with our new and evolving
world. None of us were really able to predict what is happening today and
likely one of the more difficult things is that we are unable to predict what
will be happening tomorrow. In the meantime, we reach out to our friends and
families by phone, text, email, always keeping our social distance of course! I think of you all and hope and pray that you
will stay well. Stay safe as you follow the guidelines of our politicians and
health professionals. We can beat this if we all do it together.
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