By the end of the day, the Oregon governor will have issued a “stay at home” order that will realistically have little effect on my retirement plans. Under normal circumstances, I would have been in Dallas this morning for a Spring Training game between the Cardinals and Texas Rangers. Instead, I’ll spend most of the day watching TV, starting with a fresh new episode of Outlander. Fortunately, I can still continue my outdoor running as long as I maintain a wide berth from others. Otherwise, my days tend to be even more sedate than retirement. It’s frustrating to sit here and watch my dreams go down the toilet because of an invisible bug. 

On the positive side, my cough is finally going away after weeks of irritation. The Arizona climate actually acerbated my allergies rather than bringing the warm weather cure I was seeking. Now that I’m back in Portland, despite the cold and rain, the hacking has finally come to an end. It was undoubtedly a concern to others as one of the Coronavirus symptoms. Fortunately, it was never accompanied by a fever. Everyone is frightened by this invisible enemy and growing paranoid of any sneeze or sniffle. It’s an unprecedented experience in my lifetime. 

I’ve been threatened by war and frightened by thieves, monsters, and bullies. These are the visible enemies that we’ve all perhaps encountered in our lives. We’ve read of pandemic outbreaks throughout history and seen them affect other countries. Coronavirus is the first to infect my life. It’s already taken away my freedom and my savings, and could weaken or kill. I can only fight it through isolation and cleanliness. We can’t even see it coming like a cloud of locusts, tornado, bomb, or forest fire. It could be lurking in this very room right now, ready to attack without notice. It’s the invisible enemy!