Supposed to Be

The new refrain of my life, of most people’s lives, is supposed to be.

Monday was supposed to be my students’ first day back after Spring Break.

Instead, I spent the day at home, wondering what my week would look like.

Tuesday was supposed to be the day I resumed working with my fifth graders on learning the recorder.

Instead, I spent the day in schools empty except for staff, attending staff meetings via Skype because we can’t have more than 10 people in a room. When I would talk to other staff members one-on-one or one-on-two, we would sit or stand at least 6 feet apart.

Tuesday night was supposed to be community band rehearsal.

Instead, I spent the evening practicing trombone on my own.

Wednesday was supposed to be the day I finalized plans for the elementary spring concert.

Instead, I figured out how to teach band via “distance delivery”, i.e., over the internet.

Wednesday night was supposed to be rehearsal for the play I was directing.

Instead, I learned that there was a confirmed case of COVID-19 in town.

Thursday, I was supposed to be at school, continuing to work on moving instruction online.

Instead, I worked from home until health officials could confirm the schools weren’t contaminated.

Thursday night was supposed to be another rehearsal for the play.

Instead, I made the decision to postpone the performances until the fall.

Friday night was supposed to be a community potluck, a joint event between Pride Alliance and Choosing Our Roots, another LGBTQ+ organization.

Instead, I caught up on the latest 3 episodes of “The Clone Wars” and then re-watched the first two episodes of “The Mandalorian”.

Today was supposed to be an all-day training for Choosing Our Roots.

Instead, I went grocery shopping, worked out, finished reading one novel and started another, and re-watched several episodes of “Farscape”.

Even my future plans have been affected. Sometime in the near future, I was supposed to meet with my doctor to start a new form of testosterone. I doubt that will be happening before the fall. In June, I was supposed to attend Band Camp for Adult Musicians. I got an e-mail on Thursday that, due to the current health crisis, camp has been cancelled for this year.

Yesterday, the governor officially announced that students will not physically return to schools until at least 1 May. I have one more week to move my music classes online. That supposed to be won’t change. Time to get to work.