Last week on Wednesday and today, I had video calls with my family. Prior to the outbreak, we kept in touch through text and occasionally called. But video chat?

They say distance makes the heart grow stronger. How about a pandemic? Homesickness comes when there’s a greater sense of fragility in one’s family.

I really do appreciate the calls even if we don’t talk about much. My brother’s apartment was flooded by an overflowing toilet in the apartment above him. It overflowed for 8 hours. At 3 gallons per minute, that ends up being like 5 hot tubs full of water filling the inner walls of his apartment.

March 24, 2020

Another job today. More guilt. More jobs cancelled. Plenty of Purell was dispensed.

I have this strong image in my head of the client, who is in his 60s, reaching out and giving handshakes to everyone while saying he “believes in handshakes even in these times.” I was the only one who didn’t shake. I kept my arms crossed.

March 22, 2020

Don’t touch anything!

I visited a client’s location for photos today. Great pains were taken to keep everyone well over 6 feet from each other. I opened just one door and did it with my jacket sleeve.

The guilt is strong here while taking photos. If I wear gloves and take dozens of precautions, am I still unknowingly spreading the disease? More likely than not, I could be. One misspoken plosive word or a dirty finger on a light switch could mean sickness for the next person. So that guilt feeling is justified. If you come across this blog post, please understand that I am writing here honestly and that it does not feel good to be writing this. But, I bet I’m not alone with these thoughts. On one end, as someone currently in the “gig economy,” finishing up non-cancelled jobs feels like a necessity. It’s income. There is no working from home or paid leave. On the other end, there is the risk of being a super spreader.

More than a dozen events have been cancelled so far. I expect all of the rest will fall through in the next couple of days.

March 20, 2020