I think it’s week five of “the after.” A lot of this—the worry, the dread, and the fear and, for some, the boredom—is starting to feel routine. Having Netflix (and a few beers on a good night) put me to sleep seems like a ritual. Not having to wear underwear at the desk—well, that’s a perk. But overall, my new movements are starting to feel very familiar. And not in a comfortable way.
On Tuesday, I kind of melted down and vented to our publisher about something, this, that, or the other. I was just frustrated, and the concerns about how our mighty contributors and the five remaining staffers at CL can build a paper that will bring our laid off colleagues back probably got the best of me. I apologized later. James Howard—who’s been at the helm of this alt-weekly for the better part of three decades—said I didn’t have to say sorry. James is an eternal optimist, but he understood how the stress of a month of all this got to me.
I’m sadly starting to get used to not being in the office. It felt like a special occasion this week when I stopped by to see my colleagues. And being there led me to a story which reminded me that there’s still a lot of good to look for—and find—in these trying times.
CL’s Digital Editor Colin Wolf—who’s also in charge of digital strategy for all seven papers at Euclid Media Group—said that his landlord came by to mow the lawn at the house that he, his wife and their three-year-old rent. It’s a nice thing that the landlord does. Colin said the landlord must have noticed a healthy number of grassless patches, filled with sandy dirt, where his son’s playthings were. To the landlord, bats, balls, and the paraphernalia kids have in their yards must’ve looked out of place covered in dust because he called Colin’s wife to tell him that he was gonna find some sod to put down in the yard. That’s a really nice thing to do—especially when so much of the world is wondering how the hell it’s going to make rent next month anyway.
That story was just one thing that I happened to hear about on a bad day. And it was enough to get me through. But stories like that are still happening all over Tampa Bay. You’re still here reading about it, and that’s just as special.
We’re all hanging onto things from our lives in the before time. And while the world we knew won’t look the same as it did before the coronavirus arrived in it (seriously, did you know the State Theatre has a new name?), what emerges will still have a lot of good to look for—and find—when these trying times fade and better ones emerge. So we’ll keep searching for it.
We appreciate all the emails and messages telling us about the good things you see. We also appreciate the negative Facebook comments. It’s comforting to know that you’re all looking for something good (and bad, we guess). It’s just reassuring to know you’re still out there. And we’re glad to be here this week, too. So until next time, keep staying home, but let it out when you’re feeling overwhelmed—then try and find some shred of happiness to hold onto.
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This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2020.