Shelter in Place

On St. Patrick’s Day, the world is clamping down. Governments are sinking their teeth into the coronavirus and methodically removing individual freedoms. Each step takes us closer to a world that was only conceivable in science fiction or post-apocalyptic stories. France and Italy require their citizens to fill out a form explaining why they are leaving their homes or face a fine. California has shut down all restaurants and is following the federal mandate of limiting gatherings to ten or less people, Kansas has cancelled the rest of the school year, and Trump continues to mumble his way through this debacle.

In response, I have stopped watching commercials. Commercials falsely remind me that businesses are open or there might be a sale happening this weekend at a car lot when in reality everything is shuttered and we are slowly losing all remnants of normalcy. They remind me of an empty void that reflects and absorbs the echoes of a memory.

I received a school email from school updating me that I had to “report” to work tomorrow and that under Government Code 3100, I could be assigned by my supervisor to emergency duties. More questions than answers arise from this brief reminder stuck nonchalantly in a long email. I looked up this government code and found it is subjective. There are no specifics other than some person can order me to be somewhere I don’t want to be. 

I tried to speak to my son (18 years old) about the new restrictions being imposed and he decided to let me know that he believes it’s all a conspiracy and/or “blown out of proportion”. We engaged in a shouting match that was eventually broken up by my wife but the damage was done. He clearly cannot think beyond his own bubble and I have to find a new way to communicate with the children about what is happening. Most of the problem lies in the fact they are under the impression that they are not at risk and therefore, worrying about spreading the virus is low on their priority list. I had to remind them that my Dad is part of the “at risk” group and they could easily pass it onto him which would ultimately lead to his death. 

Trump and Governor Newsom reiterated that schools “probably” will be closed through the school year which seems a bit rash but everything is changing so rapidly how are we expected to keep up. We don’t have time to formulate a thought; our only choice is to adapt and overcome each new challenge. In addition, the federal government is trying to pass a stimulus bill that would issue a check to every American adult in the amount of $1,000.00. This is all in response to the nosedive that the stock market is taking as a result of this pandemic. Words like “depression” and “recession” are now normative buzz words rather than whispered in back corners or in the shadows. 

Also new to our expanding list of vocabulary is the phrase, “Shelter in place”. Several Bay Area Counties ushered this pseudo-marshal law into existence within the past 48 hours and surrounding counties and states are following their lead. How is this enforced? What are the requirements, policies, or expectations behind this order? It’s coming our way and only a matter of time (maybe 24 hours) before we are “sheltering in place”.