“I’m a freelance copywriter. I normally work from home anyway, but it’s pretty unstable, to begin with, and this will put a damper on available work—when recessions hit, workers like me are the first to go. Fortunately, as a freelancer, I keep money saved. I was going to take time off and travel this fall, and that money will get me by for a while. I’m a lifelong musician, but as a bass player, I’m more of an accompanist. Playing and singing solo always makes me a special kind of nervous. A band I’m in now, 'Neither Bears Nor Forest,' was going to release an album in March with a show. Now I think we’ll just release it online. My biggest worry is my parents. My dad was supposed to get two new hips next month, and that’s been postponed indefinitely. He’s in constant pain. I have a pregnant friend who is considering if she should go in for prenatal care. I can’t imagine making a choice like that.
In a weird way, we are all equal distance from one another now. Friends and family around the world are just as accessible as those nearby. It’s a headspace that’s taken a while to get into. I’ve been more conscious of reaching out to people. My family has been getting together once a week on Zoom. I text a lot less and am more likely to pick up the phone and hear a voice and see a face. When my friends in the neighborhood go for walks, they chat with me through my window. I’m also putting in the time to playing lead guitar, something I’ve always wanted to do and never got around to." Bo, March 2020.