I haven't written a post in a long time on here, mostly because I forget I have it. Anyway, 2020 so far is becoming a year for the record books, COVID-19 has dominated every single platform for media news there is in the last month and to most this whole thing just doesn't seem like it's real. We have all seen those viral apocalypse movies out there at least once in our lifetimes and now that it's NOT fiction and IS reality, there are still those who don't think this is a real thing to be worried about. I've read posts about the Generation Z kids still going out, still gathering, still partying, and not taking this seriously. They don't believe it's a real threat and have no concept of what social distancing means, or what self isolation really is. I am used to not going out and doing things, used to being alone and by myself, it's just something I feel comfortable with since I haven't had a reason to go out anymore, like not working for nine years. Three times a year I go to conventions, two of them with my mom and so far two of those three have been canceled. I understand why, those conventions have thousands of people there in one space, physical cash money being exchanged, food places, and close proximity to other people. The conventions I go to use mostly cash, there are some places that take debit or credit cards but the majority of sales are cash based, and the main draws to them for me anyway are the celebrities. The autographs are where most of the money I bring with me goes to and it's ALL cash, no electronic money.
A perfect breeding ground for a pandemic; so canceling them is the best option and chance to keep the thousands of people there from becoming unaware carriers and petrie dishes for this virus to breed in. As I've said before in here, I have MS and that puts me in the high risk group for this and I live in a house with three 60+ adults who are also high risk. My parents go out once a week and that's it and so far no one is sick in this house (that we know of) because the scariest part of this COVID-19 thing is the fact that you can be a carrier for it and not present symptoms in the contagious stage. The hardest part for me is the not touching my face, I can't HELP it, I do it a lot during the day. It's like an automatic reflex and most of the time I'm not even aware that I'm doing it. Where I live on a main road the sounds of traffic are just background noise and recently I've noticed how quiet it is and it's slightly jarring to have the silence out there. No sounds of kids playing and the weather is warming up here so I've been sweating a bit when I wake up, this is also weird to me to not hear kids out there. And recently I've noticed I'm actually feeling bored, which again is weird because this being alone a lot has always been normal to me. I've never wanted to go outside and do things but it's like the switch has been flipped and now that's exactly what I WANT to do. I don't understand why I suddenly want to go out when nothing outside of services deemed essential and required to keep Ontario moving, are open.
I feel like I want to go out there with my camera and take pictures, like suddenly nature has become unspoiled and pure again and that I'll miss it if I don't capture it on film. I COULD do that, I don't need to ask my parents because I'm an adult and can do whatever I want without their permission but truthfully, living in the city there isn't much in the way of nature to really be of interest. Spring is arriving but most trees and are still bare and the grass is still that usual post-winter brown colour, no leaves on the bushes means no flowers, and no flowers means no butterflies or bees to be attracted to them; so really, what would there be out there to take pictures of? Empty parking lots? Urban photography does have its appeals but I've never really taken any pictures of it, because of people being out and being seen taking pictures of buildings might look like I was casing the joint or something to anyone who might see me doing it. Which now, they're not out...so maybe that would be worth taking pictures of. It's a strange sensation to finally go and do something I've never had the urge or desire to go do before, maybe I am far too used to my hermit lifestyle and now that there's no one out, it's like I can still be a hermit while outside. I have no cell phone so I'm not chained to it like pretty much everyone is these days, and this virus is not an airborne contagion like The Happening so just being out in nature won't infect me. Also no zombies out there waiting to lurch towards any sound they hear either, it's not The Walking Dead type of viral apocalypse. All in all, I'm still not entirely sure that I would go out despite everything I've said so far here. It's just one of those random thoughts going through my head for no reason that I've always typed out.
