The person I want to quarantine with
How are we as human beings supposed to weather these times?
In the 10th month of the Coronovirus epidemic, I find myself wondering who I really want to quarantine with. It's too much having to weather this epidemic while seeing less than two people a day at times (the previous week, the only person I saw was my bank teller!) It's truly an unusual time we're in and how are we as human beings to get through something like this -- these crazy times -- unscathed?
I had a funny thought yesterday - had I had the gift of prescience, maybe I would have "sized" up whom I want to quarantine with. On a date for example, would I have been thinking and analyzing in my head about this time last year whether the person sitting across from me is "quarantine-worthy" or "quarantine-fit?" (This is not to say yours truly is the perfect company in cloistered spaces for weeks on end - far from it :). But I wish that someone had warned me about something like this - a year of quarantine where we can't go out freely or sit at coffee shops or dine at our favorite restaurants or just roam to our hearts' desires -- so that I could have mentally prepared myself at the very least.
After a string of dates and steeling myself for a rough 2020, I'm already feeling a bit burnt out and find myself viciously wanting the companion of a dog or a quarantine buddy to weather this darkness or the storm together. Yes, there are Zoom calls and virtual alumni happy hours and virtual ballet classes and various other gatherings, but nothing replaces solid, good human company! It's a bit difficult to meet someone new and to strike up a conversation with people that go beyond the mere hello's or first encounters when what is probably lurking in the back of minds of everyone is "Is this person safe from the Coronovirus?" "Has this person been exposed to people with the Coronovirus?" These are very strange and unanticipated questions I did not even remotely expect to be asking about this time last year. How is a human being - who is wired for human contact and touch and companionship - supposed to weather an epidemic in this already technologically-driven world? Even a few days ago, I was considering visiting the Bay Area, a beloved locale for me, but a day later, I was reading headlines of the Coronovirus variant spreading across the state that is making me reconsider my favored destination! And I found myself asking another random friend from my alma mater, "do you want to quarantine together" to which I received a tepid response. His first response to me was "Can I ask you how many people you have seen in the last few days?" Umm...
I guess Coronovirus "paranoia" is a bit normal depending on which kind of circle you run in. So for now, I've resorted to the virtual chats and the Zoom calls and the remote calls with friends. I've become addicted to Netflix and the internet, by default. I've become glued to the Friends reruns on TBS to help make the time go faster at times. Is it just me or is the quarantine kind of difficult in this already challenging, modern world? I know that a lot of websites offer resources for those who are struggling with the Coronovirus. How about an app that allows people to "match" with a quarantine buddy, based on his or her preferences, after all safety steps have been taken of course? Just kidding.
Yes, this epidemiological crisis that we are in brings challenges on many levels. But for now, I will stick to the comforting companionship of my sister's dog Fuzzie, who is a gift from above. She is only a year old (7 years human age) and she has an innocence unparalled by any creature I've seen in a while...she frolicks around in the green of my backyard and gives me kisses when I need it and seems to melt in my embrace -- a mutual symbiotic relationship I will always cherish! If you liked this story, please feel free to leave a tip so I can continue writing and ruminating =)
About the Creator
Susan Lee
I graduated from Stanford University in 2002 with a BA in International Relations and a minor in Psychology and have a Masters in International Affairs from Georgetown University.
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