Rita Mercier is Chief Corporate Planner of Tampa’s VA Medical Centre. She lives with her husband and children in Valrico, Florida and is slowly adjusting to life under isolation with the help of her dogs, cats and a bit of online shopping. With her family divided in their own home, she shares her thoughts on a new way of life.

I’ve always wished to work from home. I didn’t expect that it would take a pandemic and shutting down the country for that wish to come true. My new day begins when I roll out of bed, grab a cup of coffee, and log into my work network. I am suddenly never late for work. Meetings are all done via conference call or virtual meeting sites; if I walk the dogs while on a phone meeting, who’s to know? Dogs are happier, I am happier and I'm getting some much-needed exercise.

My workspace seems to be situated in a mini zoo. One cat is stretched out on my desk so the keyboard’s home is now my lap. Another cat is sitting in the chair with me. I perch on the edge of my seat; she takes up the space behind me. Three dogs on three dog beds surround me; if I move, they all move... I trail animals everywhere I go. A new cup of coffee is always at the ready. What could be better? 

In addition to pets, I share my home 24/7 with two adult children and a husband who has been relegated to the back of the house. As a medical professional, he has continued his duties at our local hospital, and with another family member in a high-risk category, he is not allowed to mingle. He receives his meals via a small table outside his door, on paper plates, with plastic utensils. We have not had any physical contact with him in over five weeks. We can interact with him from a distance when in the front yard. Every now and then, he peeks his head around his barely opened door to say hello, particularly when he is feeling lonely. I handle the cleaning of his laundry with gloves, on the washing machine’s sanitise cycle. He entertains the rest of us when, suddenly, we hear him guffawing at a funny video, TV show, or maybe some inner musing. As I sit here, I hear him listening to dance music in the back—it must be very loud for me to hear it so well.  It’s only noon... I wonder what in the world he is thinking. 

In anticipation of the shutdown, I restocked the cupboards and freezers.  When the run on toilet paper began, panic set in. I bought toilet paper wherever I could find it. A month in, and I have enough to last past the shutdown. I also bought a bidet to attach to the toilet in the event we ran out. I considered myself lucky, as shortly after, they were out of stock. It is still in the box. When this is over, we may see a surplus of bidets, hopefully still in the box, for sale on eBay. Though who will want them? 

Availability of hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes is a distant memory... I wasn't quick enough to stock up on either. We still make grocery runs, handled by my husband. He does the shop, brings it to the garage, then I retrieve it and disinfect everything before it's put away. We have a routine and it works. Getting supplies has not yet been an issue. The rest of us cannot leave the house to protect our high-risk family member. 

In the absence of excursions out of the house, online shopping has become my friend. I look forward to the daily Amazon deliveries. It’s amazing how many things I now can’t live without and must purchase immediately! We have bought a new pool vacuum, though the old one worked. I bought outdoor furniture covers, to protect furniture from the harsh elements here in Florida. I also bought a guitar, which I hope to learn to play. My son bought a bass guitar, and my daughter bought a thumb piano. Maybe we’ll start a band! The Amazon drivers must think we’re crazy; I need this shutdown to end just so I’ll stop spending money.

There’s debate as to the timing of getting back to ‘normal’, whatever normal looks like going forward. It may be a little bit more challenging for us than for those who don’t have special medical considerations in their family. We will be wearing masks longer than most. I look forward to going for a meal or a beverage, driving my car, visiting family and friends. Right now, I am content to sit tight and do my part to control the virus spread. We are all in this together.