New restrictions were announced earlier today. It isn’t a surprise, and day to day, it won’t change much for me personally.
And yet. It still hurts. It’s still a sign of how bad the situation is, how much worse it could potentially get. And even if it doesn’t affect me much personally, I think I’m in the minority in that. I am mostly okay not seeing people outside my immediate family. I’m healthy. I work from home. I don’t have kids to care for, balance trade-offs around, or worry about. I’m not a small business owner, worrying about how I’m going to make it through one more round. I’m not worried about my job no longer existing tomorrow, or two days from now, or next week.
So I’m okay. I’m lucky. And I’m also lucky in that I know I’m lucky, and I feel grateful for all that luck every damn day.
But then, there is also the world overall. There’s my town and my people and my state and my home. There’s all the places and people I love, whether specifically or in the abstract. And there’s all the people and places I don’t know or don’t love, but which are also worthy and interesting and valid.
So what about everything else? What about all of that?
I am mostly fine, and I’m grateful.
It still hurts.
something happens next 
Similarly, restrictions continue here in Ireland with some relaxation coming during this coming week. The relaxation of guidelines is prompted, I believe, by a feeling that it is necessary to appease people in the period coming up to and including Christmas for not to do so would quite likely lead to non-compliance and make a return to compliance much more difficult when the number of infections increases again. This relaxation goes against the advice of medical experts. On a personal note: we are two retirees and staying at home, more or less isolated, is perfectly fine with us. We have a big garden to keep us occupied and a convenient place to walk close by; shopping is done online so we really don’t need to be out and about among people at all. There are drawbacks – not meeting family, the biggest and most obvious. Best wishes to you and yours. Stay safe and healthy.
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That’s interesting – I think the same thing happens here, with restrictions imposed when it seems like people are better able or are more willing to comply. The most recent went into effect just after our Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and they’re expected to lift just before Christmas. Like you, we don’t mind isolation too much – it’s certainly a time to value the garden, and the right person to share it with! Best wishes to you and yours too.
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Many thanks, Heather. Best wishes to you – stay safe and healthy
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