Today is the last day of March, so I did what any person who hadn’t refunded their monthly bus pass would do… I took the SkyTrain out to restock my food supply from my favourite Safeway in New West.
I wonder if other people had a similar idea, because my trip was a lot busier than I expected! For the first time since COVID-19 hit, I didn’t feel comfortable getting on the first bus that stopped to pick me up, it was too full. Likewise, when it came time to ride the SkyTrain, it was also much busier than I was used to (but not so busy I felt I had to wait for another one).
When I arrived at Safeway I noticed small groups of people hanging out in aisles just standing and talking to each other, without any consideration of others wanting to shop. There was also a man with a shopping cart going back and forth through aisles, talking loudly to himself and occasionally looking like he might be following people. When I finished shopping and headed to the checkouts, the talking man with the cart had just come to a cashier and was now harassing another customer. He started putting up a fuss and then started throwing the items from his cart into the self checkout. Security had to be called, and various store staff began asking him to leave. He started yelling and trying to physically fight with staff, and you could tell they were scared to let him get anywhere near them. It was difficult to get him to leave the store, but he eventually did. I was very impressed by the bravery of the staff of that Safeway.
When I got home I washed my hands extra carefully and changed my clothes just to be safe. People yelling and spreading their respiratory droplets like that really make me uncomfortable.
At the same time I feel like we need to remember that some people are really struggling at this point. Life has changed in ways none of us ever expected it to. The new normal isn’t what any of us want it to be, and that’s hard. But as I told a friend of mine the other day: We’re all in this together… Just at a minimum 2 metres distance 
So if you’re feeling the isolation getting to you don’t be afraid to reach out to those you know and care about. There is no shame in needing a kind word and some real human interaction. And once this has passed, there will be in-real-life hugs again. I promise!
Here’s a funny meme to make you smile:
Stay safe and healthy everyone!
BC COVID-19 Info 