Feelings in lockdown..

A month ago when lockdown felt like a temporary situation, it felt fresh and new. A little different from the usual routine life, daily commute to work and back home, completing tasks on hand, both at home and at work.

My preschooler had to adjust to her new life, missing her friends and teachers.

A month has gone by, she has been questioning when will she go outdoors? When will she see her friends?

To begin with, I thought working from home, staying 24/7 will be difficult. But now it seems to be a long term situation ( not complaining though). My weekly grocery trip feels like going to a war zone. Chilly winds are still stepping in. I don my winter jacket, gloves and mittens. To add to it, is my face mask. The streets have never looked so frightening. A picture of Doom’s day flashes well before my eyes.

They say practice social distancing for safety reasons. I wonder if it will become a norm, a part and parcel of life for decades to come. Not because the virus will still be contagious and halting our lives but, because of the trauma it will leave behind.

I remember reading an article where people were scared to send their kids to swimming pools for four decades after the polio outbreak.

So, what happens once this is all over? Once we can say, the worse is behind us. Will we get used to staying away from others by 2 ft? The frontline workers, how long will it be for them before they can go to work without fearing for their life and their near ones? Once we start hitting offices, subway cars, will it be a smooth ride or a bumpy one? What will be the thoughts when we sit next to each other in subway or parks?