Sparta High School was let out just over a week ago. I was enjoying virtual school and the lack of work involved. Everything seemed to be perfectly normal, but this was only the beginning. It was Saturday, March 21, 2020, when this new normal came about.
I woke up that day looking forward to the weekend and a break from school. I ate my normal bowl of Frosted Flakes along with an M&M yogurt before going to watch T.V. My sister and I were flipping through channels when my mom told us that we were all going to Shoprite since my sister and I didn't have anything to do that morning. We quickly got ready and were on our way to the store.
After coming closer to the entrance, we could see that there was a line which was very unusual. We entered the line, still unaware of what exactly was going on. After waiting for a couple of minutes, a lady in front of us told us that they wouldn't let us in without a mask. My mom, sister, and I were all just very confused. Knowing we wouldn't be allowed in we had to drive back home to get some kind of covering.
After we got back home we were all wandering around the house looking for a face covering. My mom uses face masks all the time because she is a vet, but we didn't have any laying around at home. My sister ended up settling with a scarf and my mom found a gaiter. I literally couldn't find anything so the only solution was to tie a shirt around my face which wasn't comfortable at all. I tested it out before going back to Shop Rite, and within 30 seconds it felt like my face was on fire. However, there were no other alternatives so it would have to do.
I felt really stupid wearing a shirt over my face, but there really were no other alternatives. My sister and I were rushing my mom to go fast because it was so hard to breathe. My shirt kept falling down and it was just a terrible experience. Luckily, we only needed a few things for the week ahead so we ended up being in the store for about 30 minutes. Instantly after when we got outside, I immediately removed the shirt from my face and I felt relieved. Finally, it was time to go back home.
That trip to Shop Rite was the beginning of a new normal. At the time the whole country was still very unaware of the shutdowns that would come. Looking forward, it seems as if a second wave will be coming so there really is no way to tell when we can fully start reopening again.
I was just thinking how wild it is that we've all gotten used to the masks and can now even recognize people or know when they are smiling. My four year old nephew can wear his mask all day in preschool - I still can't believe this.
ReplyDeleteThis year has been really strange and the things we are getting used to like wearing masks and online learning.
ReplyDelete