Wait and See
On Friday (March 13, 2020), Fresno County Schools closed down until April 14th, 2020. All events were cancelled and parents were left to figure out how to care for their children full-time. On a global scale, Italy locked their country down calling it a national quarantine and there seems to be more European countries looking to do the same. Are we next? The economy continues to waver on the edge of a cliff which at any minute seems poised to crumble under the weight of a nation and global partners who are unable to understand how to deal with this invisible enemy. The cruise industry has stopped providing services for an unspecified amount of time, restaurants are shifting tables so that patrons are not sitting close to one another, delivery systems are being constructed to bring people necessary items like food, merchandise and other essentials, and aviation is quickly becoming a hot zone that is leading to a veritable ghost town. Trump is shutting down our borders while other countries continue to look inward to protect their fragile socio-economic and political systems.
People are feeling the squeeze but “they” say the worst is still to come. When an economist or community leader or government official says this; what are we supposed to do? I feel like a pawn in a chess game ready to be sacrificed by someone who does not have the empathy to realize that I am an individual human and not part of some collective hive.
I went to the grocery store for the first time and witnessed first-hand the empty shelves; it was a disconcerting feeling. There was no bottled water, no toilet paper, no bread, no milk, no meat or chicken or fish, no onions (?), frozen food, and alcohol had been picked through. Fresh fruit and vegetables were still readily available and it appeared that most every other food item was stocked. Questions swirled in my mind while I watched persons fill multiple shopping carts with food stuff. Should I be doing the same and prepare for the worst? What is the worst? Will there be a national quarantine like Italy and France?
I received an email on Friday night (March 13th, 2020) from our principal who advised the staff at our school that we would still be receiving our paychecks based on the fact we are contracted employees and to show up on Tuesday for a staff meeting in the gym. From what I gathered, school administrators want to deliver instruction through online systems or other processes. In addition, schools are opening in the morning and at lunch time to provide meals to those students who do not have sufficient food resources at home. At this point, there are no further instructions regarding how we will accomplish this monumental task of teaching remotely. On Sunday (March 15th, 2020), I received a follow-up email from our principal stating that the Tuesday meeting had been cancelled because Governor Newsom was planning a major announcement related to the direction California schools were to follow. For now, we wait and practice living in this new world.