I just did my regular Saturday morning AA meeting online, and we mostly discussed isolation. Here on the island, we would like to think we are protected but unfortunately everybody else has that idea and comes here for protection. The governor has not locked down the state, and the ferries on Friday afternoon to the islands were full. Out of 6,000 residents on 55 square miles, we have one known case of Coronavirus.

I am hopeful that this doesn't kill me, and that maybe some good changes will come to our healthcare system. Thanks for posting here to all of you, and I wish you peace and health.

I am in self isolation,have felt very down about it alll,don’t think the reality of it has sunk in yet.For me it is all about acceptance and I am not there yet.

I also know of several people with the virus now,so that makes it more real,so far all are recovering. Easy to forget that most people do.

I live in a small village,we have a helpline set up now a 24hour one and everyone is being supportive.

I am not that sociable anyway,but do like the gym and my AA meetings,doing online ones of which there are plenty.

I take my dog out every day for a walk,drive and walk him in isolation,he is fiesty.I couldn’t believe how many people were out and about in big groups.Our National Parks have been mega busy and people driving to the highlands of Scotland to isolate in their camper vans,areas that don’t have adequate medical care in the first place.

My son lives with me and is still working as his job is considered vital,he is worried he is going to bring the virus home,it is not the virus that worries me,it is people’s behaviour,not doing as our Government advise.

Take care all and stay safe.

I don't think this will be apocalyptic either. My guess is we are heading into an era wherein quite a number of chickens will be coming home to roost. Increasing impacts of climate change and greed, more viruses, bacteria unresponsive to antibiotics....I feel for younger people too. It's all pretty bleak and difficult to put a positive spin on :-/

Unfortunately I don't really have anything to add other than my personal experience. This is definitely the most peculiar human experience I've gone through in life. The whole world is hanging on and that makes it a little easier to take in. Fortunately, I've had zero desire to drink from all this. Even though my anxiety is probably at 120%, but I'm navigating it in the healthiest ways that I can.

Iowa here. I'm still expected to go into work, but contact is pretty minimal. Fortunate I still have a paycheck coming, but dividing my time between work and home only. While I certainly am fearful of getting sick... on the other hand I'm hopeful we can navigate through this. It won't be pretty. Alternatively, living with a mandated, indefinite mysophobia for a long-term is no life to live in my mind, soooo... I guess we'll just keep hanging on for now.

Here's one: official New York City Department of Health policy recommends masturbation.

I'm glad I don't live in Yemen where 56,000 cases of cholera have been reported in the first 7 weeks of 2020. No clean water, and kids with malnutrition. Health care collapsing.

And all the shelves are empty. :headbange

Those camps do not give much opportunity for social distancing. When it arrives in those camps pity the poor innocents.

At least we're in with a chance.

Thanks for that perspective Steely. As rough as this might be, all of us here on this forum lead a privileged life.

We will get through this.

D

Happy to see your new thread, Cow :)

These are definitely strange days. I was laid off last week so am doing self isolation as much as possible. Most everything is closed now so that makes it easier.

I am grateful to be sober on the best of days and grateful to be sober on the worst of days and that hasn't changed.

I am a believer and my faith in God has not wavered.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Eckhart Tolle made a video message called "Staying Concious in the Face of Adversity"that was a huge help to me and could be to others. You can watch it on Youtube if you're interested.

I've been recommending that for years! :lmao

My little office remains open for business. Just two of us here, so "social distancing" is not a problem! I live alone and can still get the necessities (I even found some toilet paper on the shelf today), so really not a whole lot has changed for me. I watched too much news on Friday night, so woke up yesterday kinda freaking out. I host an online recovery meeting every Saturday morning, so my peeps there set me straight again. Feeling optimistic this morning that everything will work out as it should.

One thing I'm doing is limiting my "screen time" on sites that have news about the coronavirus. I may do a brief check of the headlines twice a day, but that's enough.

Instead, what I've been doing is making a list of things I've always wanted to do but never found the time. There are movies I never got around to seeing, books I've always been meaning to read (some I've owned for years and never cracked open) and music I want to listen to. I'm usually a rock and roll guy, but yesterday I put together a playlist of Charlie Parker's music that I listened to today on my daily 1 hour walk. There are also hobbies I'm getting back into.

It wasn't my intent, because I didn't think this far ahead. But what I have found myself doing is slowing down and making the most of every single day I have. The anxiety and uncertainty in life right now has made me appreciate my time even more. I would never have this perspective if I was still drinking.

Cow - I like your style

Sober369 - I just checked out that Eckhart Tolle video! Thanks. I got into The Power of Now a few years ago, and I really feel it helped me find my life's "purpose" at least to finish my undergrad degree. The main thing I remember is that you have two purposes, you have that "life purpose" that some people are looking for, but your first purpose is just to breathe and to be.

On a bigger level, like everyone I spend a lot of time thinking about this social/moral experiment that the universe has presented us with and what it is trying to tell us - slow down, stay close, you can do with less, you can save the planet -- maybe all of the above.

Wouldn't it be amazing if life style change really came from this? If everyone started thinking about the long term change in habits? The habits that can help the planet. Less consumption, more conservation. That would be a miracle.

Cow! It's about time you start an engaging thread!! And you sound good. I'm with you on the caffeine front. At this point it just makes me anxious as cluck so I've switched it out. And I Iike it like dessert so I've shed those calories too. Bonus and bonus.

Isolation is my thang. I'm a pro. I'm in my element. No longer do I hear "Get in the middle of the herd" and heart begins to palpitate. Stay home, stay clear of other bees swarming. Yay. The hive has gone mad. Shelter in place. Social distancing. Music to my socially divergent ears. And I'm not joking. I'm quite serious. I feel much sadness for those that have trouble with a lot of 'quality' alone time. Or for those that are stuck with spouses and a bunch of irritated kids (I heard one eruption on my dog walk last week: " I don't like social distancing. I hate you Mommy"...fer real). That would be brutal. So I'm not lacking empathy. I'm just ok with being alone. And frankly, the world is safer with me not connecting. Kind of a freak, I am. I am adding that for those who are always telling people not to isolate, who might be struggling with all this alone time? Telling isolators to socialize is probably something akin to the isolation socializers are feeling right now. I have no idea if that made sense. I guess I'm saying, the shoe is on the other foot now. Weird isn't it?

Common Core math? Sassy, no one knows how to do it. Its the biggest bungle in a series of American education mathematics bungles (my gen was 'new' math or whatever the yuck that was). Then kids get to take Calculus in college, sans the common core, and they have no idea what to do. Its a joke. And the ACT ? No Common Core bs. Make sure the kiddo's get lots of prep help for their entrance tests. Ridiculous. I thought they were getting rid of it.

Sugar. I need it right now. Nuf said.

Economy? Just yikes. The only thing I find comfort in is we are all in it together. A year? Someone said? No, try 3-5.

Humans? We are the virus. We have been wiping this earth clean of all creatures since the moment we destroyed Neanderthals. Just a thing. We aren't pack creatures. We are a hive creature. And not all that smart. I think if we were created by some higher power, that higher power said "Uh Oops" and moved on. Doesn't want to own that little mishap in evolution.

I feel sadness for our younger gens. The millenials who were raised by the boomers...yikes. Gen Z (that's it right?), raised by nut jobs like me. Who were born during 911, mass shootings, online everything. Social media everything. I have noticed that my daughter's generation 1. Can't write worth crap (and I mean, actual penmanship looks like that of an 8 year old) 2. Can't communicate face to face 3. Will probably all go blind by 30 from staring at their phones 4. Have no idea how to date, court, commit or be in a relationship. Ok, lots of generalizations. Sorry. I don't know anything really.

So yoga, walk dog, pick up tile, do yard work, shower, watch the news (moment of terror follows), eat some sugar (calm down) watch netflix (don't watch Contagion...not a good idea), sleep. Try not to freak out that I have embarked on this huge remodel that is costing a small fortune I don't have. Yay. Actually, I was smart about that so I'll be ok.

Everyone stay safe. Stay calm as one can. Enjoy the peace and quiet at home. Hope for a better tomorrow.

Hello all.

Running low grade fevers with headache for 24 hours. On reddit I found a link to a public health group doing testing for my county and because I am a healthcare worker with a fever, I qualified. My covid test is tomorrow.

At the very least, if I have it it’s early and ahead of the big curve. Unfortunately I live with four other people, and no spare bedrooms at the moment so not sure where I’ll isolate if it’s positive.

A proper mask would have been nice about three weeks ago, dontcha think? Stay healthy peeps. Isolate.

Hey Sassy

Hoping the best for you. And yes, better now than right in the middle of the curve.

Rest and hydrate. Hope you feel better soon. Keep us posted!

...are you saying all 500 of my previous threads were not scintillating. :lmao

I feel remarkably similar to you entropy. I'm a pro at isolation, and I don't have any kids or pets to worry about, so it's not really been a trial for me. ...yet... Talk to me in 3 months if I am still housebound and all my TV programs have run out of new episodes! :scared:

When I look at this situation as a stark intellectual, it makes sense. With over-population, global warming and immense habitat/species destruction, the earth is a crazy over-ripe petri dish, and this was bound to happen. The Earth needs to shake off its own infection --us.

But I am not just an intellectual, and I do not want Sassy or anyone in my tribe to be sick and suffer. And I also feel terrible for younger generations for whom events like this will be the norm. And personally, I am not a big fan of discomfort! Such is the dichotomy of this reality.

I would gladly give up everything I have if I could go live in a Star Trek society. Where there is no money, everyone's needs are met, as are the planet's, and everyone contributes. No one has "more." But humans are never going to be able to create that. Even back when all we had was maybe some sea shells, we still coveted our neighbors' shells and manipulated, stole and killed to get more shells or "better" shells.

:grouphug: and thanks for the updates and conversation y'all!

((Sassy))

I've thought about that, too. My son is 29 years old. The Great Depression hit in 1929, so people who were his age then were born about 1900. Those were my grandparents, all his greatgrandparents. They were screw-ups, but just in normal ways, if you know what I mean. Some drunks, a drug addict, one probable crazy, some died fairly young, some who were immigrants who started off dirt poor. But they all made their way, had families (obviously), homes.

Gives me hope.

NYC is not in a particularly good way. More than 1/3 of total diagnosed cases in US are here. Health is not my major concern, although 6 ft distance is virtually impossible in this city. The big problem is jobs jobs jobs. We're talking "on the dole" like not seen in a long, long time -- unless they get a vaccine. I know they're working on it, including right down my street at Rockefeller University, and I have to be optimistic about that.

Sassy, I am praying for you! Sending cyber hugs and positive vibes.
I wonder, if a person gets it and it is a mild case, are they then immune? That might be the best thing going. I'm not sure though, I'll look it up.
I'm really mad at my grown kids because they are not taking it seriously. Having friends over, sharing close space, just acting like it doesn't matter. I told them how I feel about it. I hope it sank in.
I'm pretty good at being alone, too, so long as I have a place like SR to come to. I do need to hear from others and share thoughts and such.