Crazy Times for Common Sense

I can't believe we are going on day 204 of having our lives shut down from what we used to know as normal - gone are the days of running the kids to school, meeting up with friends for coffee, leisurely strolling thru a store.  Our days now run together, with very little separation to mark work/school/home life.  It's now a major victory when I get to go to the grocery store without company - the once arduous task is now something to look forward to!

We moved into our new home in June, 6 weeks after schools closed and my husband started working from home.  As I unpacked and got things settled I noticed a very different mood in our neighborhood, there were no kids playing outside together, there was very little noise anywhere - quarantine was in full effect.  While we didn't have a strict lockdown going on, we did have a mandate in place that required we wear masks at all times out in public, stores and businesses were closed, restaurants were pick-up only.  It was so strange.  Even picking up the mail was strange, as normal it was the suburban water cooler where neighbors would congregate and catch up.  Not anymore.

The quiet of life has definitely gotten to me, having everyone home, no place where I am alone and no place to go (usually I would hide at the movies, or just go for a drive).  Having schools start in September has been very strange and added a whole new wrinkle to life. When schools closed in March, there wasn't a real push for "school" to finish - we missed going to 5th grade camp, 5th grade graduation, summer travel plans and so much more.  All summer was spent with some of the most beautiful weather combined with all parks/campgrounds/beaches being closed....it was awful!  I saw our 11 year old start to slip into a depression, anxiety over things that were once "normal" was now prevalent.  It felt (and still feels like) a strange Hunger Games sorta environment - one that is hard to explain to anyone who hasn't experienced this.

As we start yet another week of remote learning, I realize that we have a choice about how we approach the virus protocols.  They don't make sense to me, the numbers don't add up to these measures we have had to take (the masks, the businesses closing, the lack of "life" around us).  Initially we were told that we had to stay home and wear masks to flatten the curve of the spread of the virus....then that happened and we continued even more stringent mandates. I think I am tired of the "science" behind what's going on, when I can look up infection/death rates and they have gone down locally....Let me be an adult and decide what's best for me and my family.  If we are sick, we don't go out.  If I go out, I don't need a mask and I know how to keep my distance.  Making it through this time without losing our sanity is the main goal here!