Homebody

 Ah! It's Friday, another blissful week of going nowhere. For me, anyway. Almost four weeks went by recently where I didn't leave the house once, and I honestly didn't even notice. I had to think really hard about the last time I left the house. This arrangement works well for me. I love going nowhere. 

My kids do not love the hermit life. And I gotta say, the biggest drawback of quaren-twenty-till-who-knows-when is that the rest of my family is home nearly all the time too. Even as a homeschool family, I still got fairly regular breaks by pawning my kids off on friends or relatives for a day or two once in a while. This is a bit too much togetherness.

Genuine alone time is scarce these days. But, I have an office with a door that closes; I work from home and reading is part of my job. I am one hundred percent aware what a blessing that is, and I never want to take it for granted. 

The thought of so many people having to go to jobs, or other essential activities where they are at higher heath risk overwhelms me. While I thrive in solitude, and am easily satisfied with the occasional phone or video call, text exchange, and Instagram, I know many others need to be far more socially engaged. I ache for those who desperately want to be physically close to their friends and family and are suffering mentally and emotionally from extended isolation. Especially older ones and single people. 

I worry for my Mama, where going door to door is a requirement of her job. For my sister, who volunteers to take a family member who can't drive to essential medical appointments, while also being the primary errand runner for several in the family. I worry for my brother-in-law, who manages a store. And for my sister who has asthma, to whom he could unknowingly, despite taking precautions, bring the virus home to. And yet another sister and her entire family caught the virus in December.

Most people in our area simply don't seem to care about guidelines and preventative measures. 

I haven't been to the chiropractor except once over the summer. I have a lot of days where I really want to go, but unless I have another migraine that I can't get to ease up after trying everything in my power and I'm in so much pain I can barely walk, I'm not going because not a single person who works there wears a mask. Including the doctor who owns it. At least, no one was the one time I finally had to go because of the aforementioned unbearable pain. I wore an N-95 mask under my cloth mask because I suspected that they would be lax about the mask policy. There were no changes in the distance between workstations or waiting room chairs, nor were any other clients wearing masks. 

I work hard to keep my asthma under control and to avoid getting sick. As someone with elevated risk for complications from this virus, I am seriously agitated by the callous (to the point of mocking) attitude displayed by so many people.

 But to the people who are taking it seriously, who view it as their responsibility to protect not only themselves, but others, thank you. I see you. I appreciate you. 

I mean, I don't physically see you. I don't leave my house for weeks at a time. Sometimes I ride in the car while hubby runs errands, and I might see you then. 

Probably not, though. I'm usually reading while he goes into the building. But in my mind's eye. I know you're out there and I thank you.

Stay safe, and whenever possible, stay home.