MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK, “THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
October 9, 2020 9:15 a.m.
“The restrictions have been lifted! Lockdown is cancelled!” David, my 15-year-old son, said to me. We were driving back to the school from his doctor’s appointment yesterday afternoon.
“What?!” I exclaimed.
“My coach just texted me. The soccer club is opening on Tuesday and practices start up again,” he went on to explain.
“Are you serious?” I asked. “That’s great news!”
As we talked to others at the school, they were all hearing the same message. It seemed that the decision to lock down all the “danger zones” in Spain had been overruled by the High Court.
Freedom!
Awesome news! We were free—free at last!
In celebration, we allowed David to go home with his friends after school yesterday, into one of the “locked down” cities that had been barricaded for the past few days by police checkpoints.
David and his friends had a tradition. Every Thursday evening, they walked to and from “The Good Burger,” an American hamburger joint with “2 for 1” specials. It was the highlight of their week.
With the lockdown restrictions, David wasn’t legally allowed to go into that locked-down city. However, now that lockdown was cancelled, he could. Yippee!
Last night at 11 p.m., I drove into the city to pick him up. There were no police controls. Life seemed to be normal.
Until . . .
This morning, October 9, 2020, I received a text from some friends.
State of Alarm?
“Spain might declare a ‘State of Alarm’ if a decision cannot be reached by the government in the next 12 hours. If the country is in a ‘State of Alarm,’ the court’s decision to cancel the lockdown is overruled.”
“You have to be kidding me? Are you talking about a full-blown lockdown and quarantine—a March 2020 repeat?” I texted back.
“I think the schools will stay open,” our friend replied.
“Oh please, Lord, have mercy!” I muttered under my breath.
Emotional Roller Coaster
“This is an emotional roller coaster!” I texted to my friend. “Freedom, happiness, elation one moment, and stress, anxiety, and panic the next.”
It’s a long holiday weekend here with Spain’s national holiday on Monday, October 12. It’s “Fiesta Nacional de España,” the day when many countries, including Spain, celebrate the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas on October 12, 1492.
We could be tempted to getaway as a family for the weekend since the boys don’t have soccer games and other plans.
However, is Lockdown in Spain #2 cancelled or is about to intensify big time?!
Stay tuned . . .
3:30 p.m.
Just six hours later, the Spanish government met and officially declared a “State of Alarm,” overruling the High Court’s decision to cancel the restrictions. The same cities are in lockdown for the next 15 days.
Because Monday is a national holiday, the government fears that Spaniards will travel during this long weekend and spread the virus around the country.
Here we go again . . .
I just texted a friend, “Spain just officially declared a state of alarm for the next 15 days! So . . . we are back down into the dip of the emotional roller coaster ride! 🙂 By God’s grace, we will keep our hands raised and scream for joy at the top of our lungs . . . trying to enjoy the ride!”
(I record all this and tell these stories in an effort to document the days.)
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
GET YOUR FREE EBOOK, “THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
LET’S WEAVE CULTURES!
Do you feel like you’ve been on an emotional roller coaster with the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions changing all the time? What’s it felt like in your part of the world?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
