SELF-ISOLATION, DAY 6

I am starting this the night before again. When I work my schedule is messed up.

Today was so different. The store was mildly busy until about 4 or 5pm, then it grew quieter and by about 6pm was nearly dead. The store management was there and gave us all sealed, hot meals. We will all receive a bonus. I began to feel more kindly to the store management and the administration of the grocery store chain in general. The managers are all there, working along side of us and exposed as much to the risk as any of us. We are not soldiers but the population depends on food stores, gas stations, pharmacies and medical personnel; transportation, police and fire department; there are so many people who make up the network of caring for this society. What if none of them came to work? What would we do?

Today I felt more mellow, perhaps because the work was not so intense and we were gradually trying to restock the shelves and make the store appear a bit more like normal. It is getting there, but in any case it is not a situation where people are starving because we are unable to keep up. There are certainly people who are in danger. Those who are already poor and now unemployed from a meager job and wondering where any money will come from. We really have to care about the rest of our society. If not, I believe we will truly fall apart as a society. I mean, really.

OK, beginning again/starting on Day 6, which I started last night. I am getting confused. I’m tired. Not sick, just tired.

So, this is Sunday, I went to work again and by the 3^rd day of weekend work I am pretty tired. The store was very quiet all day and by 6pm, an hour early, I was just looking for things to do to act busy, but tired and bored. So I asked for and received permission to leave an hour early. I don’t care about the lost 1 hour pay. In the morning we had quite a bit of various groceries to put on the shelves, still from the shipments the night before. Everyone not involved doing something else, like cashiers and baggers, and including all of management, and myself, were busy stocking the shelves, with customers threading their way between workers. Still though, most everyone in a good mood and polite with each other.

People are coping, adjusting. The church I occasionally attend is using live-streaming, and I met a female pastor of a nearby church, in the grocery line, who told me they are live-streaming services, and the Theosophical Society I mentioned, will start using ZOOM for our Wednesday evening discussion and meditation groups. So, these are some very positive aspects. The streets were quieter, regarding vehicular traffic, which is good. I hope people are really taking this seriously. I personally feel well. I have been through the H1N1 epidemic several years ago, and other flu epidemics. I always got my vaccine. This, of course, is a different animal. I don’t want my friends and relatives to die from this. I do not want to.

REMEMBER: Shelter in Place. It is not a joke. Stay home when you do not need to go out, except to walk, run, etc. Walk your dogs. Oh, it stopped raining! Today it is snowing. But this will also stop and the sun will again come out. Eat healthy, get fresh air in your home when weather permits. Fresh air and sunshine are healthy.

And, stay safe, be well, cooperate. Believe in the higher powers. March 22, 2020