![\"\"](\"https:\/\/storage.briwebapp.net\/2020\/09\/4c03a437-zuma.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDear Diary –<\/p>\n
Day 1003 of the pandemic.\u00a0 Actually, I have no idea what day it is anymore or how long we’ve been living in this “new” world.<\/p>\n
Much of it is starting to feel a bit more “normal” if that’s possible.\u00a0 Is there anywhere you can’t go right now?<\/p>\n
We have our social bubbles, and I feel lucky for that.\u00a0 I know there are people missing family and friends out of the country.\u00a0 I can’t imagine what that feels like.<\/p>\n
We can go to the mall again, go out to eat and even go see a movie.\u00a0 Not that there’s that many to chose from.\u00a0 There are a few oldies I’d love the chance to see on the big screen again though.\u00a0 Grease.\u00a0 Maybe the Gilmore Girls finale.<\/p>\n
I miss new movies and new television shows, hugs and clear conversations.\u00a0 Talking to someone through a mask is just not that easy.<\/p>\n
My kids are back to school – one in the classroom, one in the virtual classroom.\u00a0 Both seem to be adjusting well and hats off to the teachers for making this new way of learning fun and safe.<\/p>\n
I seem to have gotten used to the social distancing.\u00a0 I’m not sure if that’s something I want to be okay with.\u00a0 \u00a0The circles on the floor of every store reminding us where to stand.\u00a0 Following arrows in the stores – even though sometimes I rebel and go the opposite way if nobody else is there.<\/p>\n
I’ve been documenting this pandemic life since it began, but lately I find I’ve gotten so used to things I almost forget it’s not supposed to be this way.\u00a0\u00a0Are we just getting used it?\u00a0 Despite the constant reminders to wash our hands, sanitize, and “stay safe”.\u00a0 Constant reminders that we are “under attack” by an invisible enemy that has taken loved ones, businesses, jobs, security, and so much more.\u00a0 “Don’t let your guard down.\u00a0 Not yet.”\u00a0 At the same time, I think we’re so used to seeing them in so many places, we’re almost tuning them out.\u00a0 Some call it “pandemic fatigue”.<\/p>\n
I’ve found that people’s choice of masks can be a conversation starter.\u00a0 Instead of “I love your shirt” or “I love that new haircut” it’s “I love that mask!”<\/p>\n
Being out doesn’t feel scary anymore like it did when this whole thing first began.\u00a0 Remember when we were only going out for the essentials.\u00a0 Once a week. Tops.\u00a0 We felt like we had to justify what we were purchasing. Justify being outside of the house.<\/p>\n
Seems so long ago and like yesterday at the same time.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, I joined in an outdoor fitness class.\u00a0 I got my groove on and tested my two left feet with a Zumba class under the Bluewater Bridges. It felt good to be outside.\u00a0 With other people. Smiling. Laughing.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
It was enough to forget about the pandemic.\u00a0 And all the rules in place.\u00a0 Like wearing a mask.<\/p>\n
As I hurried after class to run and grab a white t-shirt for my daughter to use in art class for a fun tie-dye project – I totally forgot to wear my mask.<\/p>\n
For a moment, I didn’t think about it.\u00a0 I parked my car, and rushed into the store to find a t-shirt.\u00a0 10 minutes before the store closed.\u00a0 I ran straight to where I knew the shirts were.\u00a0 I found her size.\u00a0 I hurried to the checkout.\u00a0 And in a split second, as I noticed others standing in line – I realized IN A PANIC – I had forgotten to wear my mask.<\/p>\n
The mask that I keep with me everywhere I go.\u00a0 In that moment – I FORGOT.\u00a0 I didn’t leave it behind to make a statement.\u00a0 I actually FORGOT.\u00a0 Until that moment in the checkout.\u00a0 And my biggest fear in that moment – what are people thinking of me right now?\u00a0 That I don’t care about others?<\/p>\n
Nope.\u00a0 I simply forgot.\u00a0 In a moment where I raced around to find a white t-shirt for my daughter’s art class.\u00a0 Something I would have done before COVID-19 took away normal.\u00a0 I wanted to hide.\u00a0 But the store was closing. I needed that shirt.\u00a0 I apologized for not having my mask.\u00a0 I felt terrible.\u00a0 I did.\u00a0 It wasn’t intentional, yet I felt I was the worst person on the planet. Breaking the rules.\u00a0 Breaking the law.\u00a0 I was actually AFRAID for what might happen.<\/p>\n
And THAT is something I don’t ever want to experience again.\u00a0 It wasn’t the COVID-19 I was afraid of – but of not following the rules.<\/p>\n
Are we going to be driven by this for the rest of our lives?<\/p>\n
Are we going to feel bad about hugging people or shaking hands?\u00a0 Even when this passes?<\/p>\n
Are we going to always feel uncomfortable getting closer than six feet to someone else?<\/p>\n
Is this going to leave a permanent scar on our spirits?<\/p>\n
The thought makes me sad.<\/p>\n
I think we’re making progress and I continue to stay hopeful.<\/p>\n
Day by day, right?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dear Diary – Day 1003 of the pandemic.\u00a0 Actually, I have no idea what day it is anymore or how long we’ve been living in this “new” world. Much of it is starting to feel a bit more “normal” if that’s possible.\u00a0 Is there anywhere you can’t go right now? We have our social bubbles,","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":11173,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"featured_img_display":"Yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-22 10:52:43","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"react_link":"https:\/\/foxfm.com\/uncategorized\/2020\/09\/the-view-from-here-dear-diary-2\/","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/briwebapp.net\/cfgxfm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/briwebapp.net\/cfgxfm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/briwebapp.net\/cfgxfm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briwebapp.net\/cfgxfm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briwebapp.net\/cfgxfm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11141"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/briwebapp.net\/cfgxfm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11176,"href":"https:\/\/briwebapp.net\/cfgxfm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11141\/revisions\/11176"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briwebapp.net\/cfgxfm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/briwebapp.net\/cfgxfm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briwebapp.net\/cfgxfm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briwebapp.net\/cfgxfm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}