Covid-19 has hit the world like a punch in the mouth, however, as many people know Atlantic Canadians are resourceful and know how to take a punch. While most of the world struggled to cope with the rising tide of Covid-19, we hunkered down, trimmed our sails, and trekked forward, relying on each other in a 4 province Atlantic bubble. This served us very well for many keeping the virus at the door for a long time.
During the initial shutdown in March my wife and I had the mindset that being couped up as a family is not a negative thing. Our goal was to have positive experiences with the kids so when they look back on this time it will be with fond memories and not negative ones.
Having worked from home for many years now, including extended periods in the early 2000’s, has taught me many things, including the importance of time management. But what it didn’t prepare me for was managing my time across a family of four, with kids 6 and 8. This was challenging – not finding the time to spend with the kids, but being able to mentally shift to ‘Dad mode’ while taking the kids for an hour here and there to give my wife a break, and then shifting right back into ‘work mode’, and vice-versa. This is not easy but something I worked at to improve. And just when I felt like I was getting the hang of it Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, the Atlantic bubble secured, and we resumed normal life, relatively speaking.
Well, here we go again. We are again faced with the precipice a Covid-19, this time in the form of a second wave. With the 18-35 year old demographic partying like it’s 1999, foreign students recently returning to school, and more essential workers travelling, it was inevitable that our once safe haven bubble would start to crack, then burst.
This week, two Atlantic provinces have closed their borders and in Nova Scotia, where I live, many new restrictions are back in place. In order to get ahead of this second wave of infections, our leaders are taking action before it is too late including the cancellation of all recreational activities, even hockey (gasp!). For the record, I applaud them for this effort, provided they take care of the people whose livelihoods are most negatively affected Covid-19.
So, as a distributed worker for Automattic, I feel lucky to be able to continue my work on .blog with minimal disruption through these unprecedented times, though I am mentally preparing myself for when the kids are once again restricted to home I need to exercise my brain in the form of mental gymnastics.
Don Ruiz 