Quarantine—Part 2

It is now nearly three months after the quarantine began on March 15. It hasn’t been easy; I have struggled with the isolation, not shopping, no church, no social gathering, etc.

Marc and Jacci (Marc’s fiancé) have been very careful to not let me go anywhere because I might get infected. But then at times I feel like I’m trapped and locked in and I can’t go anywhere. Even when I can go out for a walk, a drive, call someone or do something else to feel alive.

The country is opening up and some people are acting like there isn’t a quarantine—that there isn’t a pandemic. That everything is normal again. Yet we just went over 100,000 deaths in the U. S. this year. Last week in Utah we had over 526 cases in one day—the highest number yet.

I don’t like being in quarantine—but I know I am in the most vulnerable groups, so I have to be careful.

We can even start going to Church in next week, all except the ones like me who are encouraged to not attend. I know it is hard, but the worst scenario is that just like the Spanish flu, the last world-wide pandemic, it will be bad in the spring, mild in the summer, and deadliest in the fall and winter. I hope that doesn’t happen or they will put out a vaccine before it is really ready, and it won’t work.

There was a quote in the Church news from Elder Tad R. Callister, “Not always part of God’s plan.” That is often the way the Lord works, by us not knowing, but trusting in the Lord and relying on personal inspiration. Last year the prophet, President Russell Nelson said, “I promised you at the October 2019 general conference that this April conference would be ‘memorable’ and ‘unforgettable,’” and it really was—a digital general conference!

In April 2018, President Nelson said, “But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” It may be in this day and time, we will not be able to survive at all without the influence of the Holy Ghost to tell us where to go and when, when to stay home and what to do.

I’ve done some interesting things during this pandemic:

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1. I’ve had my first home perm in over 25 years
2. I’ve given up my cleaning lady
3. I’ve given up shopping in person
4. There are no movies and no plays
5. We can’t go to Church

Despite the physical aspects of the quarantine, there has been a tremendous economic disaster because of the shutdown. Many have lost their jobs, and many can’t get them back.

Bryan was in the 2^nd week of a play at Hale Centre Theater in Sandy, performing in “Strictly Ballroom” when the pandemic hit. Theaters were completely shut down and because he was a contract worker, he couldn’t get unemployment. He was supposed to be in “Million-dollar Quartet” starting this week at the same theater and we have no idea if the play will even be performed this year. He has been severely economically affected by the pandemic.

The rest of my family have been able to work from home, and really suffered no real economic hardships, but it hasn’t always been easy.

Marc and his fiancé Jacci have been tremendously affected because they were due to go to Italy in April to get married and live there. Italy has been really hard hit and won’t even open to non-residents until in June, and then everyone has to self-quarantine for two weeks. They’ve been trying to get jobs, but it hasn’t been easy because the country has been devastated so economically.

Then the past two weeks we have had widespread protests and even some riots. It was all because a policeman did a knee-hold on a black man’s neck and he died as a result. There were even protests in Salt Lake City—which I can’t remember ever happening before. There were two cars (one a policeman’s) turned over and burned, and one man got out of his car with a bow and arrow and knife and threatened to shoot protesters. Things that I can’t imagine happening before.

In Washington, D.C., President Trump brought in active duty military forces and wanted to use them to put down the protests, but was talked out of it by his advisors and now the active duty soldiers have gone home. I can’t even imagine military soldiers fighting in the streets in America.

In another case, Trump had men on horses and riot police use tear gas and other things to clear off Lafayette Park so he could walk to a church and hold up a bible. Later he went to a catholic church and did the same thing.

The protests have gone on for two weeks and no one knows when they’ll end.

So, what will happen to our nation and us in the coming months? No one knows. Again, another quote from Elder Callister, “Faith . . . means we will not have all the answers.”