Pages

Saturday, April 4, 2020

2020: A Brave New World

The year 2020 is surely shaping up to be an annus horribilis—a horrible year in the annals of world history, up there with the 1918 flu epidemic, the Great Depression, and two world wars.

I say this with the acknowledgment that my family and I have been fortunate enough to  stay healthy, safe and whole so far during this unprecedented public health crisis. My wife and I remain gainfully employed; I telework most days of the week, rotating with co-workers to staff our office three days a week with a single staff person. Our daughter, who was just 25 miles away in her freshman year of college, moved home after her university moved to virtual instruction for the remainder of the academic year, as did my son’s high school (he too is a freshman). We know others out there are not as fortunate as many in the country and around the world face sudden unemployment and an economic downturn that some believe will eclipse the 2008 recession and rival the Great Depression.

In some ways my normal schedule is unchanged since I am able to continue my usual schedule of working on my comics at home—in fact, with less reasons and distractions to go out, it has been easier to focus and find time to write and draw.

As I have told some friends, I also discovered that I live in a home of introverts. My kids seem happy to be holed up at home, keeping busy with virtual classes, gaming, being online, and family time and dinners together. It helps that we have a home that is open and airy, and gets lots of natural sunlight.

So here we are. A brave new world and a “new normal” as we wait out for the pandemic to run its course. Stay healthy and safe.



No comments: