Jen Handsel

Sew Happy

When the pandemic locked down the country I was hit with a lot of extra time. My college classes were moved to online Zoom sessions and not having to spend time in class or on the way to class left me at home feeling the onset of the doldrums. It was around March 11th, 2020 that I first started wearing a mask when out in public. Yes, I was one of those people, the ones that would get weird looks from the other customers. I am sure that they were thinking that us mask wearers were paranoid and I will admit I am an overly cautious person, not to mention OCD, like for real OCD, diagnosed and dealing daily. So with the mention of a mysterious virus that had made its way to my city in less than two months I was worried. I often wonder if other OCD suffers are amateur virologists, watching movies like Outbreak and Contagion, and reading books like The Coming Plague. I began thinking about my friends and family, how were they staying safe? Were they wearing masks or social distancing? Being the next in line as matriarch of our family its just a natural instinct I have acquired, I worry, probably too much. I couldn’t bear the thought of others getting sick and the virus was so new that we didn’t even know the full impact it could have.