Getting comfortable for a little while longer

Looks like I’ll be staying home in lockdown fashion for a little longer. Today my job emailed me an update essentially listing me and many of my co-workers on temporary un-paid furlough through the rest of May.

Honestly it’s not surprising.

To be totally perfectly honest, my employer who I’ve had the honor of working for the last 17 years have always been good to me and my family. Before the pandemic. Even during it.

But here’s a dose of reality. The pandemic is not ending anytime soon. Even with the somewhat flattening of the curve in the state of Florida , there’s obviously not enough evidence to suggest we should get back to a fully functional society in the immediate.

Our Governor Ron DiSantis announced earlier today that Phase 1 of Florida’s re-opening will commence beginning next week Monday. Unfortunately this does not include the heavily populated South Florida counties of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. I of course reside in Palm Beach County.

So it’s waiting game for me at this point. For unemployment to kick in. For things to begin returning to normal. For work to resume.

I’ll admit. I haven’t necessarily hated this situation on a personal level. Sure there have been moments where my anxiety has ratcheted a notch. Especially when you have to do this with two young kids ages 7 and 3. But this pandemic has forced my family to slow down a bit. Especially given our hectic work schedules.

I’ve been able to exercise a bit more. Spend quality with both my wife and kids. Record more podcasts. Dust off my writers block. Cook at home more. So in my own reality not to sound like a complete out of touch asshole but I do not despise this.

But I am also ready to get back to normal. Whatever that was. Or will be.