Today started the same as most, however every step, every move was made with an extra ounce of caution. The numbers in NYC were still very low, the likelihood of my actions leading to infection were minimal, yet I was leading a life riskier than that of my live-in boyfriend and 65 year old roommate. The two of them were already self-quarantining / working from home and were annoyed with me for not doing the same. For me, it was important to put in that last day of routine - I knew it may be the last for a period of time. But their justified concern was weighing on me - it's not just my health that's at risk, it's theirs as well. In fact its the health of everyone in the city.
Still, there was a knowing sense of doom percolating throughout the day. In Crossfit the 9 of us participating that morning distanced ourselves on the floor, the impending dread silencing the jokesters among us.
The subway during the morning rush was nearly empty so really no fears there. At work it was mostly a normal day, however there were a few moments in which people actively distanced themselves from me during a conversation - so much so that it was awkward at times. Towards the end of the day, in addition to my laptop and some paperwork, I packed up some books that would be a higher priority read for me. And then I bid farewell to a few colleagues.
I gotta say - it's odd saying goodbye to people, not knowing when or if you will see them again. Most everyone I work with is youngish and healthy. But if things get bad here in the Big Apple, there is only so much that can be done from a response perspective. And even in the best case scenario they have been saying that this could be with us for much longer than a couple of weeks.
Reads: Finished Celeste Ng's "Little Fires Everywhere" - I honestly probably wouldn't have read this if I hadn't enjoyed the preview for the upcoming series so much. But once I got a general sense of what the series would be about I made sure I had a chance to read this prior to the show debuting. And man, am I glad I did. What a fantastic novel - a quick easy read on the one hand, but one so insightful regarding the human condition, especially regarding family structure on the other.
There's something about the title of this book that make's me think about it in relationship to our current situation. There really are Little Fires Everywhere - let's just hope they stay "little."
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