Renata Carmen Writes

  From someone who's been living a home-based lifestyle for ten years.      It’s been 33 days since I started self-isolating because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as things currently stand here in Los Angeles, we will continue following Safe at Home practices for another 45 days at the very least. For some parts of the world it’s been longer than others, but we’re all on stand-still indefinitely and struggling to cope as a result. Airwaves are filled with celebrities and talk show hosts remarking at how isolating, mundane, and boring being homebound is. It’s common to hear phrases such as, “We’re alone...together,” and “adjusting to a new normal,” along with tongue-in cheek-conversations questioning which day it is, and remarking on the now irrelevant concept of a “weekend.” When there’s no change in schedule and nowhere to go, it doesn’t really matter what day it is. It’s so weird hearing the whole world talk like this, because those are phrases I’ve heard be...

     These strange, uncertain times are the source of much anxiety and paranoia for the entire world tribe. For the first time in memory, we’ve been forced to come together to face a common enemy, one that transcends borders, ideals, beliefs, socio-economics, and all those other arbitrary human associations. But we aren’t coming together in an epic Kumbaya moment. This tragedy is bringing out the best as well as the worst in people. Perhaps one of these darker aspects is the apparently inherent need to hoard resources. This has transformed a trip to the grocery store into more of a battle than an errand.      On top of that, I’m immunocompromised, so leaving my quiet, safe, hilltop to handle necessities gets scarier each time. I feel like I’m testing my luck each time, and I know the more you tempt Lady Luck, the more likely she is to switch from friend to foe. So, I’ve been up since dawn, finalizing my list complete with alternate options in cas...