4/11/2020 — The Routine
4/11/2020 — The Routine
Wake up. Light yoga and calisthenics, check over the work for the day. Eat breakfast. Get to work. Break for calisthenics/stretch. Back to work, finished, dinner. Some online games until reading and finally bed.
Rinse, repeat.
The Routine has become a slow rhythm, an undulation of effort, rest, and recuperation. It has its variations — a trip to the outside, a look out the window to count masks, and wish for the park. A day off for additional stretching and meditation.
It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon, I tell myself repeatedly.
I am fully preparing for at least a year of this as word breaks through the science channels that we may not be able to depend on antibody resistance — which may create serious complications in vaccine development.
I’m trying my best to pace my breathing, pace my thoughts, and pace my plans to match the likely timeline of this crisis. As we learn more, my roomies and I are more convinced than ever that this is not a pathogen we want to catch, and one which represents an immediate danger to people of all ages.
I personally am beginning to develop not admiration, but a healthy respect for the opponent we face. True to its name — this is, in fact, a highly novel coronavirus. There is also the caseload in the Northern California area that is puzzling. Although we shut down quickly, many people in SF still are not practicing proper distancing techniques. A lot of things do not add up. SF is a major hub for travel from Asia, and many people returned in late January after the Chinese New Year. Even with the potential for catastrophe, San Francisco and the Bay Area, in general, have not seen the explosive growth that has crippled New York and New Orleans. There is something at play here beyond social measures.
Perhaps a separate strain, the humidity or temperature of the area, or some small measure of herd immunity has developed, which combined with distancing measures has worked to keep us healthier than many other cities dealing with the same problem. I am grateful for the break for the people of SF. But the science nerd in me finds it confusing and unnerving that there are so many data points leading down incongruous pathways that seem at odds with one another. As we gather more data, the real story will become known.
I am developing tremendous respect for single mothers. I am settling into the reality that it may be on me to earn and pay for the house for the foreseeable future. My roommates are my family, but not blood, I still feel an intense obligation — my heart goes out to every mother in America, up late worrying about how they will protect their children.
I am okay with the sacrifice of my time and energy for the safety of my extended family. My roommates protected me when I was at my most vulnerable. Prepared me food and helped me eat when my hands were too burnt to wash a dish or use utensils properly. I will not abandon them or throw them on the street. I will do whatever is in my power to see all of us through this event, safe and sound with our home intact.
I also am real with myself that despite my best efforts, this may not be a possibility.
I think it would be wise for all of us to adopt such an attitude of collective unity, on a local, national and familial level. For everyone and every business that makes it through — the friends and enemies you make, the actions that you take during this critical time will be remembered by those around you for the rest of their lives. Catastrophe comes and goes, sentiments follow you around for a lifetime. I think it prudent, right now, to build the best connections possible. You never know who might end up saving your life or that of a loved one.
All-day and night, the sirens scream down Divisadero, their plaintive howls each a reminder, a ground glass scream from the burning lungs of an individual in the most harrowing state of disrepair. If you have never been unable to breathe, count yourself lucky. And think piteously on those less fortunate.
This town, coming like a Ghost Town
I think it would be wise for all of us to adopt such an attitude of collective unity, on a local, national and familial level. For everyone and every business that makes it through — the friends and enemies you make, the actions that you take during this critical time will be remembered by those around you for the rest of their lives. Crisis comes and go, sentiments follow you around for a lifetime. I think it prudent, right now, to build the best connections possible. You never know who might end up saving your life, or that of a loved one.
All-day and night the sirens scream down Divisadero. Their plaintive howls each a reminder, a ground glass scream from the burning lungs of an individual in the most harrowing state of disrepair. If you have never been unable to breathe, count yourself lucky. And think piteously on those less fortunate.
