Lockdown Diaries: Trying to Work Here

By Didi Gorman 

Is it morning yet? I open one eye and look at the clock. It’s 7:17 AM. Oh, well, I guess it’s time to get up. What day is it anyway?

The coffee helps me to remember it’s Tuesday. I head to my computer. As a writer who anyway works from home, I’m working as usual. Or at least I’m trying to.

I sit down, sip my coffee and open my emails. I don’t usually get much correspondence, but the past few days have seen a flood of emails from various teachers and school boards informing us of the many platforms/resources/links/online projects our kids should/could/may/must be doing in the coming weeks.

Thing is, I’m working. I can’t possibly look at all this now, let alone supervise a homeschooling program. It’s far too time-consuming. As a matter of fact, I’m writing an essay right now. It’s pretty dystopian, if you ask me. What is it about, you’re asking? Ah! Two points if you can guess! You guessed pandemic? Wow. I’m impressed. How could you have possibly known?

Anyway, I’m back at my essay. I’ve already written the first few lines. Time to start the second paragraph. Life under quarantine is an unusual experience. Oh! Hang on. An email just came in. Let me just check. It’s another message from school with tips on how to tutor our children. I really can’t read this now, it will have to wait. Where was I?

Life under quarantine is an unusual experience…

What’s that? My Zoom is flashing. Someone has just sent me an invitation to a Zoom conference. I have a quick look and deem the invitation non-essential. Back to my essay.

Life under quarantine is an –

“Mommy, can you come help me with math?”

“Not now, sweetie, I’m working.”

Okay, let’s try this again. Life under quarantine is an unusual experience. For sure it makes it… … uhm… For sure it’s…

Who just sent me an invite to Facebook Live? It really couldn’t have waited? I can’t concentrate like that.

Life under quarantine is an unusual experience. For sure it makes it almost impossible to focus on writing an essay about how unusual an experience life under quarantine is.