pressing pause

The official edict on classes came down on Thursday--everything at Columbia online--and it's still sort of up in the air whether or not we will be keeping hours in the library, which would only be open to faculty & staff.-or closing completely for a bit.  Thus I have been plotting work from home projects and how to make the library & resources insdispensable during a crazy time for everyone, even if we don't have access to the physical collection on person.  (My ILL duties also depend on other colleges having access to theirs so that is also up in the air.)  I am trying to focus on the positives--various times when all I've wanted was a stretch of time when I had no plans and no need to leave the apartment (albeit it under ore desirable circumstances.)  The writing and art projects I'd be able to tend to.  Even of I'm spending part of my day working on library stuff, it's cutting two hours of commuting out of my life that are rife for more interesting things. We've also been trying to cordon off time to work on some A of R writing projects that never seems to happen in the chaos of our department daily.

Instead of giving in to the panic that switches to B-roll of an apocalypse movie..I am going to think of it as pressing a pause button on real life.  As such, there are things that do not matter in pause time.   Everyone just needs to sit very still.  Sort of like when in elementary school, the teacher would force everyone to quiet the fuck down by putting their heads on their desks.  All of you, heads on your desks.  Stop hoarding more than you need. Help the elderly and compromised and check in to make sure they are okay.  Read a dam book or watch some Netflix.  Chill the fuck out.  The government, which locally is pretty sane, nationally a trash fire, needs to make it easier for people to feel secure and get what they need--food, supplies, medication...

I've been thinking of the people who've been sick at various points this winter--could the killer have already been inside the house? If so, it of course makes it more important to self-quarantine, mind your symptoms, stay outta work if you're sick.. For god's sake stop socializing (side eye at St. Patricks Day revellers). or gathering for unessential things.  Stop traveling.  Just find one place and stay the fuck where you are.   I will be in my apartment with my cats and staying as much as I can, other than commuting if I must, away from people who might be in more danger than I... 

It's not the end, and surely things will stabilize and by summer, the numbers will dwindle, and we'll be changed, but with everyone startling coming to the realization of the inadequacies in our country in terms of infrastructure and health care, maybe we'll be better.