Credit: John Gilman

by Mary Hiland

“The gurgle of most of a bottle of margarita mix as I poured it down the drain might have caused extreme remorse for those who love a cocktail before dinner. But for me, it meant a wave of sadness, but not because of the waste of a perfectly good adult beverage.

“It was the realization that my plans for having it on hand for unexpected company were just a pipe dream. There would be no company, expected or not.

“From the moment I heard that COVID-19 had invaded the world, I made the decision to keep myself and my friends and family as safe as possible. If that meant self-isolation, then that’s the way life would be for the duration.

“Although I am totally blind, I don’t mind living alone. As an only child, I spent many hours entertaining myself, alone. I had friends in the neighborhood and at school, but if they were not available to play from time to time, I found plenty of ways to occupy myself in the afternoons until my working parents returned.”

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