Social Distance

Rosemary

Apparently certain persons in authority (who shall remain nameless here, lest I burst into a spittle-flinging hissy-fit) have finally realized that it might actually be a good idea to pay attention to science. Because, you know, pandemic.  And now a national emergency is in effect.

Well, excellent.  Wash your hands (soap works on viruses for extra-cool chemical reasons).  And use hand sanitizer if you’ve got it (60% alcohol at least).

And, you know, stay away from crowds… Well, that part is easy for me.

Sure, I go to the office five days a week, and sometimes more.  But my office staff consists entirely of Me.

As a writer, I don’t get walk-in business.  It’s not a storefront. All the people who need to communicate with me are already on the other side of a big fat wall of technology: phones, email, internet, Skype.

And if you buy my paperbacks, those books never even touched my hands, at least — unless you want an autographed copy. Maybe you should wait a bit on that… And should you choose to buy an ebook, well, that hasn’t touched anybody’s hands, ever, and actually never will!

As for the building where my office is located: I’m on the top floor, where there are 14 offices, of which only 4 currently have any occupants.  And we’re not chummy, we don’t hang out with each other. Plus, the staircase that I use accesses only the third floor, neatly bypassing the entirely legitimate and completely therapeutic massage business located on the second floor.

And on top of all that: my hours here tend to be from 3PM to 3AM. So… not a lot of overlap with the other 3rd floor residents.

Well, except for the artist who moved in right across the hall from me. His hours are inexplicable, and sometimes he’s here even later than I am — but again, we never visit each other, and I’ve actually only seen him twice.  On a daily basis, he basically consists of a door that slams, and occasionally the sound of a radio.  We’re off in our own worlds, really.

So… I figure I’m in good shape, here.

It might be less easy for you — but just be sensible, do the things, stay safe.

And should you desperately need some communal activity, try following the example of these folks on lockdown in Siena:

 

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