Day #165 Writing Through COVID-19: Stretching Our Nerves

I made it through the first week of COVID teaching. I am confident that my under-six-foot interactions with students and colleagues have been brief and masked (at least on my part). 

I did this mostly by hiding in my room, behind my retractable stanchion barrier. 

But this morning my routine was slowed when I couldn't get my new contacts in (I'm switching to contacts to eliminate the glasses-fog I experience when wearing mask/glasses/shield).

This meant I arrived at school when students were walking through the halls on their way to their first classes. 

I would say 2/3 of the students were not masked during passing time. Our board's position states that masks are "expected" when distancing cannot be assured. What does "expected" even mean? When our board considered this wording, one member said she was confident our students would "do the right thing." 

As I passed a football player, wearing his game-day jersey, I greeted him cheerfully: "You want to play some football?"

"Yes!" 

"Then get a mask on! If you want a football season, we've got to stay healthy!"

I repeated my mask-up cheer to three more players before I reached my room. Rah! Rah!
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Iowa is #1 for positive test percentage in the nation today. Our numbers are higher than they've been since April. The governor has shut down bars and clubs at 10 p.m. in the college towns as a (half-hearted?) attempt to lower the curve. 

The infections introduced through reopening schools will begin to show over the next few weeks. If there is anything we should have learned by watching the pandemic ebb and flow across the world, it is this: the virus is always two weeks ahead of us. 
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Dan's mom is having a hard time. This is the amazing 91-year-old who lives in her own home one mile from us. She and I have been learning to play the accordion together for the past four years. Since March, I've brought her groceries and helped her avoid the public. She's sewn me literally dozens of masks.

But when I returned to school 10 days ago, we decided to forgo our (masked) accordion practice until we can be confident my interactions with students are not bringing the virus home to the farm. This might mean we won't practice together again until a vaccine is available.

Today she called to say her "nerves hurt" again. We've been through this before, most recently five years ago. It means her anxiety is causing her physical discomfort. She describes it as "someone stretching my nerves." 

Pre-COVID, my mother-in-law kept active playing piano several times a week for the chapel services in a nearby care center. She visited (and advocated for) many residents. She did all of her own shopping and errands, cleaned her own house, and found time to stop by MY house and run the dishwasher and washing machine while I was at school. She basically ran circles around all of us.

After five months in lockdown, the toll of this virus is pulling at her nerves. I've set up a telehealth appointment for her on Tuesday. Last night I practiced Zooming with her so she will be familiar with the setup when she sees her doctor. 

I'm angry that our country has not been able in five months to return to safe reopening. I'm frustrated that Iowa is not keeping its residents safe. And I'm worried that this pandemic is stretching our nerves.

Enough.
Be well.
Write.

Allison

Look at those cheeks!