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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Drama / Human Interest
- Subject: General Interest
- Published: 04/11/2020
2020 (Approx. 600 wds.)
Writing About the Pandemic
It had been three weeks since the governor of our state, California, had ordered that, first oldsters like me, and then everyone, choose your phrase---shelter in place, self-isolate, stay home. At the same time, the whole state, including our Northern California retirement community, was pretty well shut down. I have to say that, being 90 years old, all of this had little effect on my life as I’d already cut down on my activities and did stay home most of the time. So all I had to do was rest up.
On this morning my wife Beverly was making up a shopping list of items for our local supermarket which, if we were lucky, might be delivered in a few weeks. I didn’t have anything to do myself and it occurred to me that I hadn’t heard from my friend Paul Lerner in a while. Paul was by way of being a writer. The last time we’d talked he was working on a story he called “The Meaning of Life” in which the world’s leading computer scientist, Hans Von Something, had inputted all the insights of the great thinkers, past and present, into a super-computer, pressed the “Speak” button, heard what the computer had to say, exclaimed “How simple! Why hadn’t I thought of that?” and then had died of a heart attack. That’s as far as the story had gone.
I wondered if Paul was writing anything about the pandemic that had upended all of our lives. I knew he must have some thoughts about it. I dialed his number and he picked up and said, “Hello, Martin.” We talked about the virus, what was going on in our retirement community, how we were coping with getting stuff since we were supposed to stay in our houses. I thought Paul sounded a little subdued, not his usual animated self. Then I asked if he was writing anything about it. “No,” he said. “That’s the trouble. You know, before all of this happened, I told you I was having a hard time writing about what was going on in the country. Things had gotten so bizarre, with the Russian investigation, the impeachment, Trump, Pelosi, Adam Schiff, it was almost impossible to imagine anything weirder. Now we have this pandemic. You know I like to make fun of things. This is no laughing matter. People are dying all over the world. The whole country is shut down. We’re confined to our homes. I’m stuck.”
“Hmm,” I said. “I see what you mean. Wait a minute, why don’t you write a kind of a diary about what’s going on? You can comment on those briefings Trump is having, people hoarding toilet paper, you know, all of those things.”
There was silence on the line, then Paul said, “Martin, that’s a brilliant idea. It’ll be a journal, like Daniel DeFoe’s ‘Journal of the Plague Year’.”
“Daniel Who?”
“Never mind. I’m a writer so I keep a kind of journal. I’ll go back and look it over and start with the beginning of the year, when nobody knew what was coming. I don’t suppose you keep a journal, do you?”
“A journal? No, I …”
“That’s okay. Start keeping one now.”
“Me? Why?”
“So I can incorporate your reactions to the virus; how it seems to a really old guy. You’re ninety now, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but …”
“Good. Start right away. I’m going to look at my journal notes now. Great idea we had, Martin. I’ll call you next week.”
“But …” The line went dead. What had I had gotten myself into? That damned virus, stuck in our house and now this. I’d have to see if Beverly could add whiskey to our shopping list.
###
Writing About the Pandemic(Martin Green)
2020 (Approx. 600 wds.)
Writing About the Pandemic
It had been three weeks since the governor of our state, California, had ordered that, first oldsters like me, and then everyone, choose your phrase---shelter in place, self-isolate, stay home. At the same time, the whole state, including our Northern California retirement community, was pretty well shut down. I have to say that, being 90 years old, all of this had little effect on my life as I’d already cut down on my activities and did stay home most of the time. So all I had to do was rest up.
On this morning my wife Beverly was making up a shopping list of items for our local supermarket which, if we were lucky, might be delivered in a few weeks. I didn’t have anything to do myself and it occurred to me that I hadn’t heard from my friend Paul Lerner in a while. Paul was by way of being a writer. The last time we’d talked he was working on a story he called “The Meaning of Life” in which the world’s leading computer scientist, Hans Von Something, had inputted all the insights of the great thinkers, past and present, into a super-computer, pressed the “Speak” button, heard what the computer had to say, exclaimed “How simple! Why hadn’t I thought of that?” and then had died of a heart attack. That’s as far as the story had gone.
I wondered if Paul was writing anything about the pandemic that had upended all of our lives. I knew he must have some thoughts about it. I dialed his number and he picked up and said, “Hello, Martin.” We talked about the virus, what was going on in our retirement community, how we were coping with getting stuff since we were supposed to stay in our houses. I thought Paul sounded a little subdued, not his usual animated self. Then I asked if he was writing anything about it. “No,” he said. “That’s the trouble. You know, before all of this happened, I told you I was having a hard time writing about what was going on in the country. Things had gotten so bizarre, with the Russian investigation, the impeachment, Trump, Pelosi, Adam Schiff, it was almost impossible to imagine anything weirder. Now we have this pandemic. You know I like to make fun of things. This is no laughing matter. People are dying all over the world. The whole country is shut down. We’re confined to our homes. I’m stuck.”
“Hmm,” I said. “I see what you mean. Wait a minute, why don’t you write a kind of a diary about what’s going on? You can comment on those briefings Trump is having, people hoarding toilet paper, you know, all of those things.”
There was silence on the line, then Paul said, “Martin, that’s a brilliant idea. It’ll be a journal, like Daniel DeFoe’s ‘Journal of the Plague Year’.”
“Daniel Who?”
“Never mind. I’m a writer so I keep a kind of journal. I’ll go back and look it over and start with the beginning of the year, when nobody knew what was coming. I don’t suppose you keep a journal, do you?”
“A journal? No, I …”
“That’s okay. Start keeping one now.”
“Me? Why?”
“So I can incorporate your reactions to the virus; how it seems to a really old guy. You’re ninety now, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but …”
“Good. Start right away. I’m going to look at my journal notes now. Great idea we had, Martin. I’ll call you next week.”
“But …” The line went dead. What had I had gotten myself into? That damned virus, stuck in our house and now this. I’d have to see if Beverly could add whiskey to our shopping list.
###
Jim sharp
04/15/2020Very good, Martin!
How many times have i started a journal? While settling into my new small apt. I picked up a spiral-binder tablet and lo and behold there were my notes from USAF days, some dialogue, some character sketches, etc. i.e. e.g., notes on how to construct a TV short program - seems "The Twilight Zone" was on at that time! Seems an appropriate series to re-vitalize in these hectic...Some writers are good for just one story a century, it's a good thing you are more productive. Jim S.
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Kristin Dockar
04/15/2020I did enjoy this. It felt very real. I never felt old until this and that's mainly because the government is telling me I am!!
We have a man of nearly 100 years (100 0n 30th April), Captain Tom Moore, who has raised one million pounds for our NHS.
He set himself the task of 100 laps round his garden, using his walking frame, to raise the money. Look him up. He's completely inspirational!
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Kevin Hughes
04/12/2020Martin,
I would love to meet your friend. And yes, you should keep a journal. Lots of us old fogies were light years ahead on Social distancing...it come naturally with age. Only now, it is tinged with fear. I did read Defoe's work...and what a great idea to keep a journal for this whole thing. It could be a best seller in thirty years. LOL
Funny how we thought we lived through a lot of History, and here in the twilight of our years the World changed in a way we never thought. The new Normal doesn't exist yet...and no one knows what it will be. And the second wave shall wreak some havoc before we get a grip. So the future, for the first time in my lifetime is a complete unknown. Just like tomorrow.
Loved it! Smiles, Kevin
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Martin Green
04/13/2020Hi Kevin---actually, I've been am keeping a for many yrs & I'd planned to write "A View From 90" before the virus came. Now it will be a major character. I'm doing it month by month & will post March, when it really it, on StoryStar shortly. Maybe I'll call it: "The View From 90" and subtitle it "A Journal of the Coronavirus Year."
I assume ypu're in lockdown as we are in CA. Don't expect it to end anytime soon. Stay safe. Martin
COMMENTS (5)