Signs of the Times

When one leaves the relative normalcy of one’s home, and ventures (perhaps with trepidation) into a public place, it becomes undeniably evident that the world outside is not the one we remember from a mere four months ago. The streets are nearly empty of both cars and pedestrians, and the few people who are to be seen are generally wearing masks, and perhaps other protective gear.

On weekends past, it was not uncommon (if perhaps unpleasant) to see discarded condoms littering the sidewalk or parking lot; now, one finds the unmistakable blue nitrile gloves, thrown down with the same amount of disregard for whomever might encounter this trash as were the condoms that were their predecessors. Condoms are nowhere to be seen, presumably because few people wish to be close enough to one another to need a such an item.

Once-thriving businesses are struggling or failing completely, due to the shelter-in-place ordinance that has been extended until at least May 31, 2020. Most of the businesses that are allowed to remain open have instituted a policy in which only a few people are allowed to enter at one time; the customers who are waiting to enter are mandated to stand at least 6 feet away from one another, unless they reside in the same household.

One commodity that has been coveted in the United States, oddly enough, is toilet paper. It is a rarity to find it in stock anywhere, and customers are limited in the amount that they can purchase if they do find it. Paper products, in general, have been in short supply.

Shopping for necessities, which was once a routine daily task, has become a feat; one must don protective gear even for the most basic of errands, and they are done as quickly and as infrequently as possible. Leaving the house for any reason is threatening. It is impossible to ignore that the world we left behind is gone, and a strange, threatening new landscape has overtaken the places we once though we knew.

It is painful to venture out into these streets, that once were home to customers enjoying each others’ company. Many businesses display signs stating that they are temporarily closed; others have simply vacated their spaces, aware that the shelter-in-place order is not likely to be lifted in the near future.

Leaving the house for any reason has become a noteworthy event. Venturing down the block for a quick errand is now a monumental task, that requires preparation, both physically (mask, gloves, etc.) and psychologically. It is difficult to shake the haunted feeling one has when returning home after having tread across such unfamiliar terrain.