“WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WE HAVE UNTIL WE LOSE IT.” SURELY YOU HAVE HEARD THAT BEFORE? WITH OUR CURRENT COVID 19 SITUATION, THIS EXPRESSION FEELS SO APROPOS. THERE IS SO MUCH WE TOOK FOR GRANTED AND NOW, WE ARE ACHING FOR THEM – EVEN THE SIMPLEST OF THINGS. WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU RAN INTO A FRIEND ON THE STREET, HAPPY TO SEE THEM, YOU FLING YOUR ARMS AROUND THEM WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT? OR WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SPONTANEOUSLY DECIDED TO GO FOR A DRINK AFTER WORK, PLACING YOUR HANDS ALL OVER THE TABLE, FINGERING YOUR COCKTAIL GLASS, SMILING (MAYBE EVEN SNEEZING) WIDELY? OR DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU STOPPED IN AT THE GROCERY STORE TO PICK UP SOME PARSLEY AND TOUCHED YOUR WAY THROUGH THE STORE, GRABBING THE BASKET HANDLE WITHOUT A CARE, MAYBE POPPING IN A SAMPLE OF A COOKIE INTO YOUR MOUTH, GRABBING THE CHANGE FROM THE CASHIER HAPPILY, NOT FEARFULLY.
WHILE I HAVE NOT KEPT UP MY NORMAL SOCIAL ROUTINE, JUST LIKE THE ENTIRE GLOBE, I HAVE STILL MAINTAINED CONNECTION WITH MY FRIENDS OVER THE PHONE (YES, I EVEN COMMUNICATED VIA FACETIME.) AS WELL AS IN THE SHOP-AT A DISTANCE OF COURSE. AND WE ARE ALL DISCUSSING THE SAME TOPIC. IMAGINE THAT, EVERYONE AROUND THE WORLD IS PREOCCUPIED WITH THE SAME CONCERN. THIS IS PROFOUND TO ME.
IN ANY CASE, IT HAS BEEN FASCINATING TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND SEE HOW THEY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED. WHAT HAS CHANGED FOR THEM? WHAT HAS NOT?
I ASKED A GOOD FRIEND IF SHE COULD PUT INTO WORDS WHAT HAS CHANGED FOR HER AND HOW SHE FELT ABOUT IT. USUALLY A WOMAN WITH A TIGHT SCHEDULE, SHE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN ENJOYING HER TIME AT HOME WITH NO AGENDA, NO NEED FOR HER TO “BE” ANYWHERE. MUCH TO HER SURPRISE, SHE HAS FELT A LOT OF FREEDOM. NO TIES, NO PLANS, JUST FEELING FREE. BUT BEING UNTETHERED HAS A DOWNSIDE FOR HER. SHE HAS EXPERIENCED A LOT OF FEAR. SHE IS UNCOMFORTABLE NOT KNOWING WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND HEARING SO MANY CONFLICTING OPINIONS. SHE VACILLATES THEN FROM FEELING FREE AND FEELING BOGGED DOWN BY FEAR.
ANOTHER FRIEND TOLD ME SHE MISSES THE ABILITY TO HUG PEOPLE. IT IS SHOCKING HOW MUCH WE NEED HUMAN CLOSENESS. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE. ONE OF OUR MOST BASIC NEEDS IS HUMAN CONTACT. LIVING IN ISOLATION IS NOT HEALTHY FOR US. SHE ALSO MISSES THE FREEDOM TO TRAVEL WHEREVER SHE CHOOSES. SHE IS A VERY LUCKY WOMAN TO HAVE BEEN ABLE DO THAT. SHE VERY MUCH DISLIKES HAVING TO WEAR A MASK BUT SHE STILL COMPLIES AND WEARS ONE. I CAN RELATE TO THIS. THERE IS NO SENSE IN WEARING LIPSTICK THAT MATCHES OUR CLOTHES AND SHOES LIKE I USUALLY DO. I CANNOT WAIT TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS SIMPLE VAIN THING. WEARING A MASK DOES HAVE SOME GOOD SIDES. WE DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HAVING SPINACH BETWEEN OUR TEETH, HOW WRINKLED WE LOOK OR WHETHER WE HAVE AN UNEXPECTED LITTLE BOOGER.
I HAVE A FRIEND THAT IS A VERY RESPECTABLE WRITER IN THE MEDICAL FIELD AND WHEN I ASKED HIM WHAT HAD CHANGED FOR HIM DURING THIS TIME, I CAUGHT HIM BY SURPRISE. HE HAD TO STOP FOR A SECOND AND THINK ABOUT HIS ANSWER. HE HAS CHANGED IN THAT HE FEELS HUMBLED BY THE HARD TIMES THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO GO THROUGH IN THE WORLD AT THIS TIME. THIS HAS MADE HIM MUCH MORE EMPATHETIC AND HE HAS FELT DETERMINED TO HELP FIND A MEDICAL SOLUTION. HIS DRIVE HAS SHIFTED.
ANOTHER FRIEND WHO HAS A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS IN TOWN EXPRESSED HOW HE HAS FELT SO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELL-BEING OF HIS EMPLOYEES. IT WEIGHS ON HIM NOT KNOWING WHEN BUSINESS WILL GET BETTER AND WHEN HE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE WORK FOR ALL OF HIS STAFF. HE HAS BEEN DOWN. IT HAS BEEN HARDER FOR HIM TO FIND THE GOOD SIDE OF THIS. I CAN RELATE TO THIS FEELING AS I WONDER HOW WE ARE GOING TO FINANCIALLY TAKE CARE OF ALL OF US AT GOLER.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE, SINCE THE BUSINESS HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE LUXURIOUS LAZY MORNINGS AND TAKE NICE WALKS IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR ME. I USUALLY AM UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN AND OFF TO THE GYM, THEN WORK, THEN OUT AND ABOUT TOWN! LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, I HAVE BEEN COOKING MORE. THAT IS RIGHT!!! ME COOKING! I TRY TO MAKE GOOD AND HEALTHY MEALS. I REPEAT. I TRY. BUT NOTHING COMPARES TO A GOOD MEAL AT LA BOCA FOR ME!
I THINK THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HAVING THE HARDEST TIME ARE CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS, LOSING THEIR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS WITH THEIR FRIENDS, NOT BEING ABLE TO DO CLASSES, MUCH LESS SPORTS OR HAVING SIMPLE HANGOUT TIME WITH EACH OTHER. US OLDER PEOPLE FEEL A LITTLE GRACE WITH THIS MOMENT OF PAUSE. WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF SOCIAL ACTIVITY. A BIT OF RESPITE IS WELCOME.
HOW ARE YOU DOING? HOW DO YOU FEEL WITH THE SLOW RE-OPENING OF BUSINESSES? I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! GUADALUPEJ4K@GMAIL.COM
BEFORE WE KNOW IT, ALL OF THIS WILL BE OVER; IT MIGHT TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS BUT I KNOW THIS AS MY 16 YEAR OLD GRANDSON CAMILLO TOLD ME, “THIS SHALL PASS”.