And just like that…the world changed
There are a lot of things we don’t anticipate in life, but usually, we can change lanes and keep on driving. Sometimes though, something pulls us up short. Rarely though, is it a global phenomenon.
The world changed a few days ago. It was coming and we knew it because the bigger world changed in December 2019. A lot of us didn’t fully understand the implications of the news coming out of China, but it didn’t take long before we all sat up to take notice. And talk about it. Still, I’d wager most of us thought it wouldn’t happen to us, it couldn’t happen here. Even while we watched the domino effect, the denial was a strong force. Yet here we are.
France is on lockdown. It started with the closure of restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues, but only a few short days later we’re on lockdown. Sheltering in place. Quarantined. Call it what you want, they all mean the same. Our lives are on hold until further notice.
Today at noon was the start of lockdown. No nonessential activities outside our homes are allowed. We can go to food shops, pharmacies, tabacs, the bank or get gas but everything else is forbidden. We are supposed to print out official documents that indicate our address and where we’re going and if we’re not somewhere between the two places, we are in violation. I don’t know what happens to us if we get caught though. No one is out there checking. Yet.
Fear makes us feel our humanity. — Benjamin Disraeli
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. It’s scary to be away from home. It’s scary to think about going home. Massive changes in our everyday lives are scary. It’s scary.
Looking out my window though, I see the city is still alive if not as vibrant as it was 3 days ago. I had briefly forgotten that my camera offers me a temporary escape from reality. As I watched the activity on the street below, I naturally reached for it. I spent an hour or so just peering down on the street and watching the activity wax and wane. I’m very glad I did. My Parisian neighbors remind me that life goes on, that we’re all in this together, that we’ll fight this together and we’ll overcome this together.
