Member-only story
Love in the Time of COVID
What a pandemic can teach us about ourselves
Given all the CDC warnings and pandemic best practices, my partner wanted to stock up on two weeks’ worth of food. My first thought was “and put it where?” Our pantry is awkward and our fridge sometimes fills up with groceries for even one week, let alone two or three. My second, more shadowy, thought was that I’d see all of this extra food and remember that I’m supposed to be afraid. My third thought was a memory of my years at a 9/11 foundation, where one of our projects was a disaster preparedness initiative. I packed dozens of “go-bags,” branded backpacks filled with things like mylar blankets, duct tape, a flashlight and batteries, a multi-tool, non-perishable food bars, bottled water, a DNA sample kit (to be stored in a separate location in case your body was otherwise unidentifiable), and a list of tips for personalizing your bag with items like prescription medication and extra socks.
We had dozens and dozens of go-bags available to our subscribers, so they’d always be ready for the next evacuation. We were advised — and likewise told others — that it wasn’t a matter of if they’d be needed, but when.
Fortunately, when has not yet come. My go-bag is in the attic somewhere. But I remember the enthusiastic vigilance I also packed in there, tucked just behind the waterproof document holder.
My 9/11 PTSD usually only acts up in September, and it’s gotten much better over the years. But until this past week, I’d forgotten about the special adrenaline cocktail of “not if, but when.”
Extra groceries in a small apartment to keep us fed in case of a pandemic? Awesome. I’m not triggered at all.
Then, my partner and I talked about Hurricane Sandy, which happened before we met. I didn’t take the storm seriously when the weather reports were apocalyptic, because they usually are. Three inches of snow is enough to provoke bread-and-milk runs everywhere, so I figured we might lose power for a night but would otherwise be fine.
I was very wrong. Flooding damaged many homes. My road was completely closed due to downed trees, and the power was out in my neighborhood for eight days. The lines at gas stations were long enough to drive anyone mad. My partner was alone…
