Postcard from the edge (of quarantine)

Confession time: I don’t know how long I’ve been working from home due to COVID-19.

Is it 4 weeks? 5 weeks?

I decided back at Day 1 that I wasn’t keeping track. I made a note on the calendar, but I also promised myself I wouldn’t look at it until the day I leave to go back to the office. I’m an anxious person by nature and we all have to do what we need to until this passes, right?

I do know I’ve been working from home exactly one day longer than my teenagers have been schooling from home. They had a week off for “spring break” time and also a total of a second week when our school district was reassessing our “learn from home” plan.

How’s it going, everyone asks?

I am blessed beyond words to have two middle schoolers who are content with their online curriculum but don’t require me to “teach” anything. I am not teaching my children, but I do find myself answering questions I often can’t properly explain.

Today’s question was “How do I find a number’s reciprocal?

Somehow, I actually know what a reciprocal is—it’s the bottom part of a fraction.

It took me 30 minutes, Google, and a large amount of frustration (from both my daughter because I wouldn’t just give her the answer, and me because she wouldn’t stop interrupting and just listen) to determine my student needs to be transferred back to a more patient, more qualified teacher who isn’t also trying to keep up with the latest trends in corporate America’s offices, wherever they may be right now.

I am still trying to enhance their curriculum with activities, games, and discussions that make this historic quarantine something they will fondly recall. As they are older, I’m getting off pretty easy—I’ve found enough essay opportunities for good causes to keep them going until the end of May, but don’t let them know.

I have even found this fantastic woodworking project.

If I find the patience and the supplies, I’ll be sure to post the result.

Until then, I’ll enjoy knowing that we are making history, we are making memories, and we are making the most of our time together at home.

I hope you and your family are doing the same!

Greg Bussmann
About Greg Bussmann 329 Articles
Greg Bussmann is a Marketing Specialist at Office Essentials. He is a lifelong, proud St. Louisan, a technology enthusiast, husband, and father to four daughters and three dogs. He enjoys watching the St. Louis Cardinals and Blues. Email Greg anytime.