On Saturday, March 21, I felt a twinge of panic. I had to service my car in the Portland area, so I drove up from Salem with a plan to do that, get my hair cut at the nearby strip mall, and then run into Fred Meyer to pick up necessities before heading home.

Interstate Five was empty, as it had been for a week. The waiting area at the dealership was reconfigured to allow maximum space between people. I was a week or two overdue for that haircut and believed salons and barber shops would close indefinitely within a couple days, so the shearing had to be done now. The problem was finding a place that was actually open before a mandated closure; it took driving another half hour north to do so. A Fred Meyer was next door, so I went in to grab a few things. It was unnerving. Shelves were bare, employees looked anxious, and many shoppers wandered through the aisles in masks. I got out as quickly as possible and flew back down the freeway.

The surreality of the COVID-19 pandemic continued the following Monday. The office had fewer people than the week before. Some of us talked about regularly feeling on edge. Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced a stay-home order, effective immediately. A few of us essential employees decided since we had the technology, it was safer for us and our families to work from home. Efforts to make this possible had been underway for a few days, and it was time to deploy.

As of last Tuesday I have a radio studio in my home office. When I was a kid I used to pretend I had a radio station in my bedroom. Now it’s actually a reality for the time being and is quickly becoming the new normal. Workflows are evolving to be more efficient with the way work is done at home, and I’m learning new ways to do what used to be automatic. A bonus of being at home is having my daughter nearby as the longest spring break ever continues. She’s very curious about what goes on in Daddy’s office these days, and I let her hang out from time-to-time.

I don’t know how long this goes on, and anxiety lurks in the back of my mind as the news worsens each day. Something has profoundly changed in the world, but it’s not yet clear what that means. Right now I focus on doing my job to the best of my ability and staying well. That’s all I have control over. I also continue playing the ukulele at night, which has a calming effect on my psyche.

I do need to be in the regular studio this Tuesday afternoon for a few hours, and we are advised to carry our Homeland Security letters authorizing unfettered travel during the health crisis. That sentence looks weird to read back, but it’s also part of the new normal, just like continual hand washing.

On that note, be kind to your industrial washed hands. Be well. And though you are working at home, please keep wearing pants. Take care…