10 days ago life changed....
10 days ago......
Let me first say that me and my family are all in good health, and the following may seem not of the most importance, but we are financially stable. (for a lot of people here it can become a drama.)
A Pandemic is visiting human kind, and in a way it is showing us what really is the most important thing : 'Taking care of eachother' (I mostly prefer to write each other, because it displays more what I mean). Taking care of each other, in all means possible.
Let me first open up on what I actually do for a living.
My professional life exists out of 2 elements. I work in the pre-production fase of the entertainement sector. Our jobs consist f.e. of the huge Arenaproductions and big summerfestivals... I make technical designs, and do calculations on structures that need to be hung and placed in such enviroments. We want them to keep hanging and standing off course.
Besides that, I teach the upcoming generation in this field. It's a 2 year course in the senior years of Highschool. When my students finished their course (if all goes well at the age of 18), they can either go to work, or decide to specialise them by a bachelor or master education.
10 Days ago our Governement took their first measures concerning the Corona-pandemic. (They have been sharpened in the mean time). 1 of the measures back then, was that events with crowds bigger then 999 people were forbidden....
Well, you can imagine the problem that creates for the specific company I work for. Let me say it blunt : within 24 hours the orderbook was empty. Not only in Belgium, but in all of Europe pressure was on, and they all shut down. Within 24 hours I was technically unemployed in this area. Within 48 hours our entire stage-art world pauzed. (theater, dance, musical, exhibitions, concerts,.... ) An entire industry stopped.
The next day it was decided that schools were to be closed.....
It doesn't imply that there are no courses anymore, we are just not allowed to sit together in a room. The building is empty, but we keep on teaching. It works ! Using livestream, chats and videochats I am teaching. At the hours we normally have lessons, me and my students sit behind our computers at home and learn. It is of course impossible to keep on doing this forever. Today, it is only 2 weeks until the Easterholiday. up to then we can do this. I hope it will be possible to meet my students again in real life after that. Not only for the quality of their learningprocess, but because I care for them....
In the meantime, off course, my 2 children are at home, but also my wife has to work from home. So here we are, together at home, and instructed to keep within our 'familybubble' and not seek contact with others. So we can go outside, but stay among our verry close circle, even if we take a walk in the neighbourhood and in the park. It is advised to restrict other contact to the absolute necessary : groceries, doctors, pharmacists. (All the other stores are closed anyway). Luckily for my family it is only groceries for us.
I believe these measures are necessary. Currently in Belgium the official amount of infections is 2815 (Who knows how many are not tested?). we have 1089 patients in the hospital, 238 people are in intensive care, 167 people are on a respirationmachine. 67 people have died in the meantime. 58 people are cured and left the hospital. For now our hospitals can cope.
(Our country is around 30.500km2 and we live here with approx. 11,5 Milj. people.)
We need to control this virus, and keep it from spreading. Especially for the vulnerable people. My children will be fine, me and my wife will probably be fine, but our parents, and people with health issues are not. That is one reason for this social distancing, but there is also a practical side. We need a healthcare system that can deal with this,... and then we end up with the already famous Graphic. We need to slow down the virus... To describe it more visually : We don't need more people going to the hospital then the hospital can cope with. Thanks to these measures, so far, our country can cope. Unfortunatly Italy's and Spain's system is slowly collapsing....
So now, here we are at home. We notice suddenly that it is possible to perform our basic daily duties, and at the same time spend time with the family, but also give eachother enough space like everyone needs now and then. Off course we miss social contact. We miss our friends, Going to restaurants. I miss having a beer with friends, seeing concerts and shows. But it is the situation today. Our children don't have their weekly boyscout-meetings, so we're doing that at home. We are playing games, reading books, watching movies and series. We are performing music, listening to music, and starting personal projects we've put on the shelf for so long.
The 1 big side effect is the hoarding of food and (mainly) toiletpaper. I don't get it. We all receive pictures, videos, advise from stores,... on how our warehouses are filled. There is no problem. The reason that shelfs are empty is the fact that staff can't keep up with filling them in the store. I went to the store yesterday, and the shell for toiletpaper was completely empty. I don't get that, we are a week in... How much toiletpaper do you need ?
Helas it has the effect that people working in hospitals, go to the store at the end of the day and don't find enough suply for themselfs. The people who earn it much more than I do(and many others), I believe. They are currently our heroes.
We thank and support every nurse, doctor and staff. They are working the hardest these days. Nationally we applaud out of the window everyday from our house, and my wife is sewing mouthmasks for the staff of a retirement home in the neighbourhood.
It works, ... so far.
Today is World Syndrom day where we pay extra attention to people with down syndrom, by putting on different socks.
Take care of yourself,
Take care of each other
Much Love,
Stefan and family.
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