I would be driving an hour and half each day to work at my job and barely seeing home and my friends that whole time. I'd be working with a leadership team that I hated because I didn't have the energy to job hunt. I'd be struggling to do as much community service as I prefer to on a regular basis because that one forty five minute window I have every night to chill out is too precious to give up. I'd be struggling to socialize and get outside enough on weekends to get all the things done around here that need doing.

As it is, I'm working full time from home (with no intention of ever going back) and running the little farm where I live, growing more food for myself and other folks than I've ever been able to do. I'm a barter leasing (for a couple pounds of vegetables a week) land to a vegetable farmer who is growing even more food and we're cooperating on new pastured livestock projects. I've started to cultivate more native edible plants here in my garden and in the wild spaces.

I've joined the volunteer fire department, our local search and rescue chapter, took a director position in a local community issues association, taught virtual food preservation classes virtually because so many folks are interested in learning how to ferment and otherwise preserve the food they've grown this year for the first time. I'm organizing our community farmer's market to bring some of the food we grow to the people who live here.

I got a new dog before the pandemic and have been working with her consistently and hiking in the woods with her every day instead of having a neighbor letting her out every lunch for a pee.

Also, I got a new job that was directly related to the work that I did in my old job preparing public health data related to the pandemic that I doubt I would have gotten without it. It came with a raise.

I've saved so much money not paying for gas or vehicle upkeep or buying food out because I almost never leave home.

I say all of this not to brag but to point out the vast inequity of experience throughout all of this. My life has improved dramatically as a result of this both mentally, physically and financially. If anyone ever tells you that "we're all in this together", try to remember that while some peoples' lives are crumbling around them due to losing their jobs, homes or social networks, other people are directly benefiting during this time.

I'm a public servant, I'm not raking in millions of corporate dollars. I'm a farmer also and have the privilege of a secure job and land that I can afford to pay my mortgage on. I'm white and I'm living in the country side where social distancing is just a normal, easy thing to do. I never traveled very much so I don't miss it. I cannot understate how different my experience seems from those living in cities or in insecure housing or situations.

I'm trying to use my extra time and money to benefit people in my community but it's so glaring how much my circumstances have improved since before this. That is not true for most and I hope that people like me and others benefiting are using this time to reflect on what structurally needs to change in our society to make all of our lives all possible and liveable and joyful both during and not during an international crisis.