I woke up knowing that things were changing, and not for the better. I knew that people were dying all around the world, and that there was currently no known cure. I knew that in other parts of the world people were being quarantined to their homes to help prevent the spread of the virus, or “flatten the curve”. I knew that business was not as usual. In fact it was pretty damn slow, and quite honestly, a little scary. We were washing our hands so much that our skin was breaking out and cracking. We were trying to stay positive and do all the right things, but in the back of our heads, we were paranoid. Do you know how many people us Service Industry folks come into contact with on a daily basis? And I mean literal contact. We touch their plates, cups, silverware, and napkins that they’ve wiped their faces all over. We clean the public restrooms that 100s of people have used each night. We touch credit cards, cash, shake hands, and even hug sometimes. The list could go on… So seeing the following announcement from the Mayor wasn’t necessarily a shock, but it did hit home pretty hard.
“Denver Mayor Michael Hancock ordered the closure of all restaurants and bars except for delivery and carryout service Monday in an attempt to curtail the spread of the new coronavirus, which is surging throughout the world.
The rule will take effect at 8 a.m. Tuesday and remain in place for eight weeks.”
Eight weeks? EIGHT?! No work, no income, no security for two whole months. That is asking a lot. Guess who that directly affects. Every single person I live with. Almost every single person I know. A million questions start racing through our minds. How will we pay bills and rent - obviously. Will we be able to find new jobs with everything that is going on? Will we qualify for unemployment? Will the unemployment office’s website even be up and running? What do we do with ourselves? How many games of Monopoly can four people play? Will we all be able to stand each other at the end of this eight week span of NO WORK? God, I hope so.
So day one. Beyond no longer having jobs, a lot of information is coming our way. Schools are closing. Gyms, bars, and movie theaters have been ordered to close down for eight weeks. Conventions, concerts, and festivals are being cancelled. Multiple cities in the U.S. have been placed under mandatory quarantine. There is, of course, talk of issuing a quarantine in Denver. So we do what everyone else is doing.
“The world is screeching to a halt. ”
We stock up. We hit the classic Safeway grocery store and the infamous Argonaut liquor store. We come home with what looks like way too much food, and way too little toilet paper. But it’s sinking in. This could be real. We could really be trapped here. At least I get to hear the most comforting words from my amazing room mates, “There’s no one I’d rather be locked up with than you guys!” And it sparks some positivity among us. We start thinking of all the things we can work on and accomplish, we set goals, we get excited! Life without work! It could actually be pretty great. Hell, how can I complain about a little extra time to work on my dreams and cuddle my dog? So we prepare a feast for Kings, and we start our first round of Game of Thrones Monopoly. Adam loses first. I hope he can stay strong. I hope we all can…
