This Is Us
How Do You Report on a Pandemic That Hits Home?
Putting the Covid-19 pandemic into words hasn’t been easy, even for someone who writes words for a living
Not long ago, while the sun was shining, I realized I hadn’t gone for a “socially distanced” run in at least two weeks, so I changed out of my sweatpants and into some jogging shorts, threw on a mask, grabbed a winter glove for opening doors, and stepped out into the refreshing spring air.
For about a mile, things felt good. As I neared the National Mall, I felt a small tinge of regret. No, there wasn’t an airshow luring groups of bystanders onto America’s front lawn, but there were certainly enough families, runners, and riders of all sorts, which made me hold my breath every few feet and consider turning back. But I needed the exercise to clear my mind and figured these people did too. Most wore masks and stayed in their own space. It’s okay, I thought.
Still, I ran to a side street, if only to feel a little less weird about jogging with a mask on in a crowd of people also wearing masks. Encountering fewer people but less sidewalk space to dodge them, I cut to the right and aimed for the grass. Before I made it, I missed a step, tripped over a tree stump, and skidded into the gravel hands first.
