“An hour that changed reality”

“An hour that changed reality”

Written by Goro, March 13, 2020

That’s not me saying it. That’s a bona-fide mainstream news article essentially describing how America experienced a “Kick” on March 11th…

Anthony Petronzio was on the car ride home from a birthday celebration Wednesday night when the news started to come in.
During the trip, about 40 minutes from a nearby restaurant to his home in Brick, New Jersey, Petronzio and his family had shared some jokes about the coronavirus. But as alerts rolled in and texts from friends shared more developments, the tone changed.
“By the time I got home, all the news had gotten out, and it honestly felt like I went into a different world,” said Petronzio, 25. “It was honestly crazy.”
It was an hour that changed reality for many Americans.

I witnessed it myself in real time and it was surreal how rapidly the end of normalcy descended on America.

At 9 p.m. ET, Donald Trump addressed the country and announced a ban on foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. from many European countries. Just minutes earlier, the actor Tom Hanks had published an Instagram post announcing that he and his wife, the actress Rita Wilson, had contracted COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Then, at 9:46 p.m., the NBA announced that it had suspended all games indefinitely.
The rush of news drove home that the coronavirus outbreak had moved beyond a small concern or a general nuisance. Until Wednesday, U.S. reaction had remained relatively muted compared to other countries that had taken significant steps to limit personal interaction and travel.

The rest is history. Everywhere you look, cancellation, cancellation, cancellation. Things are suddenly different and everyone is feeling it.

Suddenly no sports, suddenly limited entertainment, suddenly minimal socializing. With daily distractions cut down drastically people are suddenly left with themselves. Just you and the silence (and the internet). A mild form of mediation… having to remember who they are.