My routine. I lost any semblance of a daily, weekly or even monthly routine. I’m the kind of person who likes to follow a fairly strict daily and weekly routine. I wake up and do the same things at the same time on a daily basis. Above and beyond a daily schedule, I mark the passage of time by the events that I look forward to and sometimes things I dread. I know what’s coming, and I prepare myself for them. I know fall means the beginning of the school year (I’m a teacher) but it also means the start of my adult hockey season, nfl football and the premier league. Spring means the excitement of another completed school year and a summer full of family activities and camping with friends.
Coronavirus completely obliterated my schedule. The end of the school year was a mess. I didn’t get any closure with my seniors. It just ended. I found myself at home with my wife and kids. Mondays weren’t all that different from Saturdays. My sleep schedule was nonexistent. My son was the only one in the family who worked outside the home through the pandemic, which made for quite a surreal situation. It was like he was the head of the family. “Hi honey, how was work?” took on a whole new meaning. Although the family time was great and we were super fortunate not to lose a paycheck, everything was turned on its head. Seven months later I’m still learning to adapt. I’m trying to find new routines and daily rhythms to get me through. As my school welcomes more students back to the classroom, things are falling back in place. As I’m writing this we just had our first morning announcements in months. I never thought hearing the Pledge of Allegiance would give me so much happiness and peace of mind.