Are we going to die?

Life in the age of the Corona Virus

Are we going to die?

I don’t have time to write tonight.  I am planning a professional development session for tomorrow.  Never mind, my husband says, “Do everyone a favor and just write a 50 word observation.  Have a look at someone’s behavior and don’t get pedantic about the details.”  He suggested I write about my students’ reaction ot the COVID-19 virus.

“Are we going to die Mrs. D, are we? I hear it’s in Arlington now.”

“Is school gonna close?  Come on please, say yes.”

“ I heard Andy coughing.  Don’t sit next to me…”

“What’s going to happen if they close school, did they tell you anything?

“Actually there are plans, just in case school does close.  I am going to show you today where to go on CANVAS to receive communications from me, and let’s talk about what you would do for this class.  I don’t think we are going to close, but you never know.  And, the school system is planning, so we will all know what to do if it happens. …Does everyone have access to the internet?  If your ipad isn’t working, you need to let me know.

Everyone pulls out his or her iPad and goes to my homepage on CANVAS, we begin to prepare for the apocalypse..“ It feels like the end is near one minute, and it’s business as usual the next.  Are we in denial?  Is this the Contagion movie being played out in real time?  Or are we all deluded captives of a low hanging anxiety, produced by an oversubscribed society with its eye on the wrong ball?

In any case, I have overstepped my husband’s 50 word advice.  When you are Irish, it is hard to stop talking or writing.  Could this all be due to having kissed the Blarney Stone?  I bet nobody’s doing that in the age of the Corona Virus…

Stay well everyone!

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