Do you think,
that during your life-time, you will experience a virus/ bacterial outbreak to the extent that you will choose to stay home, to stock up on food?
It is interesting - well, it has not previously been part of my reality - my mother says she doesnt want to be close to my nephew who has a cold, since her boyfriend has a heart problem and if she carries the infection back to him he might get seriously ill. I have never dealt with this sort of considerations. Yet.
I have dealt with "No cant get sick now must work" or "No cant come to your house when you have a bit of a cold cause I dont want to get sick since then I cant work" or "I understand if you dont want to come over now that Im a bit sickish, lets hang out next week instead..."
Whats the difference?
The potential consequences (missing deadline vs. heart failure) ?
But its also that in the latter case I somehow see the sickness as an anomaly - isolate the sick, go on with your life without disturbing routines and plans (Yes I know how it sounds but I think Im not alone to reason like this consciously or not). In the first case, that with my mother, the awareness of the risks of contagiation emphasises the total difference and creates connection points between the reality of thes two relations. This awareness is intrinsic to the routines, this IS the routine, navigating a 5-year old with a runny nose and a 75-year old with a shaky heart.
Perhaps, as they talk of multiresistant bacterias and pandemias, it was more my mothers casual remark about how she was planning her weekend that made it real how illness, and navigating to survive, or for the survival of the ones that you love, can rupture the routines and throw out any plan, at any moment.
Stockholm,
at the office, with a cold coffee and sun reflections on the building opposite
13-03-07
