I will admit, when the coronavirus first hit, I really felt like people were overreacting. I listened to those who said, “The flu we deal with every flu season is much worse.”. I thought, “This will pass, we will all be fine.”.
Obviously a lot more information has come out since then, and it is getting scarier every day. Yesterday morning my husband showed me a story of a 34-year-old man, named Donny, who graduated from Brookfield East (our high school alma mater). Unfortunately, Donny passed away from coronavirus. His parents shared with a local news station how their son had been living in Brooklyn, NY for work. They said they spoke to him on Tuesday and he was fine. They didn’t hear from him on Wednesday, and by Thursday Donny had been driven to a NY hospital, with a high fever and later died. He had no other known health concerns. The doctors believe Donny died from COVID-19. This is truly frightening, given his young age and good health. You can see his story in the link below.↓
On top of reading that news yesterday, I also heard that Dr. Deborah Birx, of the Coronavirus Task Force, had just issued a new warning to the public. She emphasized that the next two weeks are crucial in the fight against COVID-19. She asked all Americans to do everything we can to Stay at Home. This includes not going to the grocery store or any other store in the upcoming two weeks.
I decided to take her warning and plea to heart and headed straight to the grocery store yesterday. I needed to stock up on food for the next two weeks. I had no mask to bring along and I should have worn gloves, but didn’t. Once there, I could not believe how anxious I was the entire time. I found myself annoyed with people who walked right up to where I was standing while looking for a product. I thought “6-foot rule”—Don’t you watch the news?”. I would sometimes hold my breath when walking past others, I felt like everything I touched was a hand grenade of the corona. It all felt bizarre.
By the time I reached the checkout lane, I had a stomachache and I felt a bit dizzy. I could not wait to get into my car, use my hand sanitizer immediately, drive with my windows cracked open, and wash my hands as soon as I got home. It took me a good two hours, once home, to feel like the anxiety had totally subsided.
First of all, I share this story to say, if you are feeling similar when you go out in public you are not alone. I never thought I would feel this anxious or worried to go grocery shopping. I think hearing the story of Donny, the healthy, young man from my home town, who died really rocked me. It also frightened me to hear the experts on TV talk about wiping down our non-perishable groceries, with sanitizing wipes, when we get home from the store. The idea that the coronavirus could be hanging out on a Doritos bag is freaky!
Second, I share this to say, please pay attention to what the experts are asking of us. I thought a lot about the poor nurses, doctors, janitors, and office workers in hospitals yesterday after I got home from the store. If I feel this way just going to the grocery store, I can only begin to imagine the feelings they have headed into work. They truly are heroes!
I plan to do my part to follow the Stay at Home order. I am going to plan our meals as meticulously as possible, so hopefully, I don’t have to grocery shop anytime soon. If we all do our best to Stay at Home over the next two weeks, maybe— just maybe, we will see brighter days ahead!
Stay safe friends. I am praying for all of us, including our health care workers and our leaders. Know that we are all in this together and it is okay to feel all the unexpected feelings—good and bad.
XO-Kerry
I went out last week and felt exactly like you, Kerry! I was anxious and inpatient with everyone and everything. Today I had to run some errands for the elderly at church and I decided to make a conscious effort to relax, say hello to people, and take deep breaths. It was a much more pleasant experience today – even though no one could see my smile under my mask! I order online for my own groceries, but I know that’s not an option for others. We just have to remember that everyone is doing the best that they can – and not everyone knows the rules. Hang in there the next 2 weeks!
Beth- That is good advice. A friend of mine who is making masks is mailing me a few. I think if I have a mask and gloves and absolutely have to go out I will feel better being somewhat protected. Saying hello to people is a good idea as well. I bet that feels nice!
Kerry- Do Instacart. I have those same anxieties and feelings going to target and grocery stores. Plus this virus is airborne! If you need help with it let me know. I highly recommend.
I will check into that. Thank you, Laurie!
I did my first Instacart today, I was thinking about my daughter who works at an assisted living for the elderly. The less exposure the better for them
I plan to use Instacart in the coming days too if I need anything. Your daughter is an angel for working at the assisted living through all of this. I am sure the people there appreciate her smile!