I’ve been home for about 10 days, minus a few “essential” moments at work. I haven’t minded, honestly, because I’m an introvert Gen X’er who likes being at home. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t learned a few things in the last week.
1) I’m not nearly as tech savvy as I think. I spend a lot of time as my extended family’s personal IT manager. Setting up printers, installing operating systems, installing software — you name it, I’m on it. Then, my kid had to start “distance learning.” Two new browser installs, 45 emails and four phone calls later … we sort of had it. Sort of. One week in, we’re still trying to figure out how to turn in the assignments.
2) I’m pretty socially isolated. It’s not much of a shock, honestly. But I’m not struggling with this at all. Other than working from home rather than the office, and my kid not going to and from school, there isn’t much that’s different in my daily life. I’d like to think it’s because I’m a self-sufficient Gen X’er (and everyone should read the fascinating article in Parade magazine about that), but likely it’s because week-to-week I spend more time with my goats than other people. Jury’s still out on whether it’s a good thing or not.
3) Technology is amazing. My kid goes to school through Google Hangouts, we’ve had Zoom meetings with our family so we can all chat together, there are kiddo meet-ups on Discord, it’s just … Wow. And exhausting.
4) I’m privileged. Because I have access to computers and tablets and phones and WiFi and can continue to live my life, more or less, while happily ensconced. This whole mess is going to highlight just how significant that privilege gap really is.
5) “Essential” takes on a whole new meaning in times like this. Doctors. Nurses. Sure, that’s easy. But could anyone have predicted that grocery clerks would become the thread holding the fabric of society together? Pretty sure that wasn’t covered in either “The Hunger Games” or “Divergent.”
6) Thank god for streaming. That is all.
7) Google Docs can suck it. I know, I know it’s all the rage. But seriously, it sucks.
8) Food delivery would be cooler if it actually delivered to places like ours.
9) I’m a part of an Olympic sport, a fairly obscure one along the lines of curling (but way cooler, I swear). There are people who have been working their whole life towards this goal, and delaying the Olympics may end their dreams. I’m not in any way saying that trumps controlling the outbreak. Of course the delay is the right thing to do. But more so than the NBA and NFL players, the amateur athletes whose Olympic dreams are in jeopardy may never come this way again.
10) I’d like to get my hair cut. So I can dye it. But, apparently not. For a while. I wonder at what point I’ll get frustrated and take a stab at it myself. Hopefully not for a while.
11) It would be super helpful if the rain could manage to hold off for this time period, but I also know we need it. This year is going to suck.
12) Screen time monitoring is for suckers.
13) Whoever the program director is at Animal Planet is a genius. Ninety straight hours of “Too Cute,” i.e. puppy and kitten TV, was exactly the balm to the nation’s soul that was needed. Maybe we need a channel of nothing but baby animals.
14) Baby echidnas are called puggles. Lots of Animal Planet going on in this house.
15) Chickens are jerks. (We’re raising chicks right now, and one of them is a real jerk, pecking the others and generally being a twit. Trying to decide if social distancing will work with chickens.)
16) My nature is that of a night owl. I gave that up a while back, with the demands of work, a school-age child and a farm. Now that I don’t have to hit those goals by a specific time, my nocturnal tendencies have returned. I’m enjoying it, but I’m worried how hard it will be to get back on the wagon.
17) People are kinda dumb. I mean, I admit that that isn’t exactly a revelation. Stop disobeying orders. Stop crowding the beaches and parks, and each other. Stop hoarding TP and Clorox wipes. Stay home and stop finding ways to go out. Stay home. Don’t be dumb.
18) All the zoos and aquariums posting adorable and peaceful videos of the charges are awesome. Thanks for doing what you do.
19) Naps are therapeutic. Or so I’ve heard.
20) No one knows what the future holds. But let’s try not to end up in Thunderdome, OK?
Heather Bailey is the editor of the Windsor Times.
