Love in the Time of Cholera

Well, it's not actually Cholera, but rather COVID-19, and, sadly, I'm not in love, but there is isolation aplenty. The voluntary self-isolation is coming to an end, and the Vermont Governor, quite rightly, has decided to make isolation more legally binding. Unlike our utter buffoon of a president, Governor Scott is taking this seriously. So, it sucks, but it's definitely the right decision. I've even gone ahead and cancelled my Jordan trip for next fall, a painful decision, although, again, the right one. I have it so much better than the vast majority of people so I try and keep that in mind, although turning sixty, getting summarily kicked to the curb by my ex, and now going into deep isolation is pretty soul-crushing. I think facing isolation is dreadful at every age, each with its own unique horror. When you're young you struggle against the confines of seemingly arbitrary rules because of your energy. Or you might be struggling to carry out your online job requirements while attempting to simultaneously distract your restless kids. At my age, where every day brings you closer to the end, or if not the end then physical or mental collapse, having this time stolen is particularly cruel. When I was cast aside I felt, against all logic - and despite my usual free of the carnal whirlwind nonsense - that someone might love me again, and make me feel that there was a purpose to all this. And, instead, I'm facing weeks, and I suspect months, of cold isolation as the clock ticks off. But here's the thing, I have friends who check on me every day, and I have a comfortable, safe place to live, and a job that allows me to carry on online, so in the end I'm one of the lucky ones.

This is mainly me as the historian chronicling the world. This was sent around by the authorities. In most ways it's not really that different than what was voluntarily in place, so this is simply more codified.

And life is now a lot of Google Hangouts. I participated in my first virtual happy hour last night, which, all things considered, felt pretty good.