Wi-Fi to the Rescue
Photo by Heorhii Heorhiichuk from Pexels
I’m writing this from an eerily quiet San Juan. Usually, my neighborhood is bustling with activity, especially on the weekends when party-goers fill the streets (and interrupt my sleep). But as of yesterday, the whole island is in somewhat of a lockdown situation. What I understood as a nightly curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. has turned out to be a bit more severe than that. Regular citizens who don’t work in food distribution, security, call centers, and the medical field are not allowed in the streets unless they’re doing the bare essential: buying food and seeking medical care. All the businesses in my neighborhood that don’t sell groceries, medicine, or meals for delivery are shut down. It feels a bit like the calm before the storm, the hushed quiet after all the houses have been boarded up and everyone’s hunkered down, awaiting the hurricane.
I’ve been “self-isolating” for a few days, which looked a lot like my regular life with less hugging—long walks on the beach, a yoga class here and there. After they announced the curfew yesterday, my husband decided to close down their office and have everyone work remotely. I was looking forward to hanging out with my sweetie while we both worked from home, sharing meals and taking frequent beach breaks. And then I heard on the neighborhood group chat that they were doling out $5,000 fines to anyone on the beach. A beach-less quarantine?! This is not what I’d envisioned.
On the other hand, I’m glad the Puerto Rican government is taking pretty severe measures. As far as I can tell (and who can really know), we’re a bit behind the mainland in terms of disease transmissions. Hopefully this island-wide “lockdown” will stem the tide and prevent a potential disaster. One of my main concerns as I’ve been hearing the news roll in from around the country and the world has been the toll that this could take on Puerto Rico’s somewhat fragile health care system. Only time will tell, but for now, I’m grateful for the quiet nights, punctuated with coqui singalongs instead of drunken outbursts.
There’s no doubt that this situation is making us think about the resiliency of our country and its people, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck and who won’t be able to pay the rent next month. But I think it’s also making us think about the value of our social networks—not the apps but the real life relationships that sustain us during times of anxiety and uncertainty. As the term “social distancing” becomes commonplace in conversations, we’re understanding in a visceral way the necessity for social proximity – for human connection, for culture, for survival. (That being said, a few weeks of socially responsible social distancing won’t kill you!)
This pandemic has also shown us the power of the internet to do what it was initially intended: connect the world. Yoga classes, business meetings, church services, coffee dates—these are all still possible under quarantine thanks to the World Wide Web. We get into a rut with the internet—email, Instagram, news updates, repeat—but I think this isolation situation is turning us onto new offerings that have been there all along.
Beyond the dizzying world of Netflix, there are other ways to be entertained and access culture online. The museums might all be closed but why not do a virtual museum tour? Take an online yoga class or learn a new language. Browse the World Digital Library or sign yourself and your child up for a free online class. If you've got a library card, browse the online database and download ebooks or movies for free. I'll be honest -- I'm re-thinking my internet-free home situation, although I think it's too late for that now!
What astounds me most about this experience is the global factor. From China to Argentina, COVID-19 is affecting the whole world. Although it’s certainly frightening, it’s also an important reminder that we’re all in this together—we’re all global citizens and our actions (and inactions) affect one another.
Tip of the Week
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STAY SAFE OUT THERE!