And the life of Jerrison Oracion during the pandemic
By Jerrison Oracion, Senior Columnist
In the middle of March 2020, it was the midway point of the second half of the college year and my parents were visiting Vancouver Island on a trip with some of my relatives. Before the coronavirus was declared a pandemic, I went to college once a week, watched films in movie theatres mainly in the Vancity Theatre, and ate at the Spud Shack on most Mondays before staff meetings. The next few weeks would not only change the way that I would do everyday tasks but also change the outcome of this year.
The first few weeks were normal as social distancing was implemented in a lot of places as there was a surge of cases in the Lower Mainland, more safety precautions were put into place and things were starting to get unusual. Changes even happened in the grocery store where I work as a stocking clerk. We began sanitizing hard surfaces around the store, wearing gloves, putting up plexiglass separators in the checkout aisles and markers in the lineup, and in case a second wave happens, we wear masks and screen protectors. I am surprised that I am classified as an essential worker and tasked with protecting against COVID-19 for my coworkers, customers, and self.
I appreciate the many thanks that I get from a lot of customers for making sure that they get the food they need during the pandemic. The pandemic is like a world war where everyone takes action in the warfront and at home, except that this situation is civil. One of the shows that I’ve been watching recently is the Masterpiece Theatre show World on Fire. The timing of this show made it more relevant considering the pandemic. The show covers the lives of five people dealing with the aftermath of World War II. There was even more hype for it than the new season of Westworld.
Most of the week, I am in my house watching coverage of the pandemic for half of the day and taking care of my grandmother. My family and I sometimes go outside to our backyard to get fresh air, get active, and clap for the essential workers at 7 pm. A while ago various first responder vehicles were doing a parade around Port Coquitlam and passed by our house.
I have also
been catching up on a lot of things, including the many films that I have on
Blu-ray that I really like to watch, reading a lot of books, catching up on
shows on the many streaming services that I have, and doing a bit of baking—which
is one of the things that a lot of people are doing right now. I made a
cheesecake! My family and I have been spending a lot of time together, getting
food from restaurants occasionally, and talking to relatives in video chats.
With restaurants being reopened again because of fewer cases in the area, I am
going to them occasionally even though the experience is different than what it
was before.
You can not only thank other grocery workers like me but also the
doctors, police officers, fire fighters, restaurant workers, and other
essential workers for getting through this unexpected time. If a second wave
happens, at least I know how to practice social distancing. When the pandemic
ends, I would really like to go to a movie theatre again.
