Dear Diary - Year 2030

Friday, May 8th, 2030

Dear diary,

Today is the first day of Quarantine Week festivities. The whole world is celebrating the 10th year anniversary of the end of the C-19 pandemic. Around this time 10 years ago, the whole world was on lock-down it seemed like. When it was over, the whole world celebrated, and ever since, it’s been a global tradition to celebrate, one week every year, the end of the crisis that affected every nation. Here in the U.S., we start off our celebration with Masked Monday, when everyone dresses up with masks similar to what they wore 10 years ago. Some even wear latex gloves if they feel like it.

On day 2 we have Sanitizer Tuesday. Stores everywhere have sales on soap, hand sanitizer, and cleaning products. Some people make and sell their own hand sanitizer and hold sanitizer parties where people sample their soap and cleaning products. For some, it’s a way to build their businesses, and for others, it’s just an excuse to party.

T.P.-wrap Wednesday is day 3. People give each other small, casual gifts wrapped in toilet paper, to remind ourselves of the time when there was a shortage of toilet paper during the pandemic. This year I’m going to give Mom a new toilet paper-wrapped soap dispenser for her guest bathroom. Seems ultimately fitting, in my opinion.

People were really worried about the shortage of toilet paper at that time, so much so, that we have two days of Quarantine Week dedicated to it. On T.P.-art Thursday, artists and sculptors all over the world hold art contests to create beautiful masterpieces made out of toilet paper. It’s really amazing to watch actually. Last year’s U.S. winner made a 3D Mona Lisa out of toilet paper rolls. Kinda cool.

And then there is Lock-down Friday. Some people hate it, the introverts and anti-social people love it, and I’m neutral about it. Stores, restaurants, venues, beaches and businesses everywhere close down for one day, except for those businesses that are considered “essential”, as was the policy during the pandemic. People stay on lockdown in their homes, usually in groups of 10 or less, also another policy during the pandemic. While it’s not really mandatory anymore, people mostly do it out of remembrance for their friends and loved ones who either passed away from C-19 or were greatly affected by it.

Social Distancing Saturday, also known as Six-foot Saturday, is also a remembrance day, to honor the medical workers and first responders who were heroes during that time of crisis when hospitals were overwhelmed. All over the country, cities hold parades in their honor. Cities will decorate their sidewalks with tape, chalk, or paint, labeling lines six feet apart on the sidewalk or in the middle of the street. Sometimes artists will get creative with it. Last year, in New York City, an artist was commissioned to paint Times Square and he painted a 3D masterpiece of asteroids in outer space. He painted the asteroids six feet apart and people could stand on them to have their picture taken, looking like they were floating among the stars. When interviewed about it, the artist said the piece was called “#TheUltimateSocialDistancing”, one, so that people would use social media to promote it and, two, because what could be more distant than outer space?

The last day of Quarantine Week is Memes Sunday. This is when the annual Memers Awards is hosted. Every year people vote on the best memes that circulate social media during the year, paying homage to the memes and memers that kept everyone in the world so entertained during the C-19 lock-downs. Needless to say, there are is a lot of laughing during the Memers Awards, it’s fun to watch.

Well, I can’t wait to see what this year’s Quarantine Week festivities has in store. Now back to the sewing machine to finish making my monkey face mask.