Dear readers – most of this issue of Prime was planned and well in the works before the coronavirus started turning everyone’s world upside down. Thus, you’ll mostly see our regular stories and columns in this issue, with the exception of the missing two-page
calendar (events were canceling right up to press time, so we made the decision to pull those pages for the sake of accuracy). I’ve altered the Six Things You Need to Know listing for this month to include a few more things you can access online, for those of you who are tech-savvy. Other than that, I hope Prime provides a bit of distraction from the crisis we are all embroiled in as we go to press.
Most of the news staff from Reminder Publishing, of which Prime is a product, are now working remotely from our home offices – or in my case -– kitchen table. The perk to that is there’s always plenty of hot coffee at hand, something I’ve found a necessity as I adjust to this new arrangement.
I’m not alone in this brave new world. My husband, a food service salesman, is now also working from home, and my son, a second-year student at Holyoke Community College and on break as I write, is facing the possibility of finishing his last semester online, from home.
I know we aren’t the only family facing these new circumstances – trying to navigate more together time, limiting contact with others, finding ways to do our grocery shopping, and to check on our extended family and friends.
That said, I want to let our readers know that those of us who put together Prime for you each month are thinking of you, especially those of you who may now find yourself homebound. We’ve created an extra page of puzzles and such in this issue to help pass a little of that time. We’ll also work to put online games and such up on our website – www.primeontheweb.com – as soon as possible.
I hope you are reaching out to family – and each other – during these unusual circumstances. With so many familiar things closed – senior centers, churches, libraries, even favorite coffee shops – loneliness and isolation are going to be a problem for us all. We all need to find ways to overcome that. Maybe you can read a story over the phone to the grandchild you’re not seeing right now. That friend who lives alone may need a call more frequently, even if it’s just to talk about the birds in your backyard. Your son or daughter who is now trying to balance working from home and home–schooling his or her children may need an adult to talk to – or a shoulder to cry on.
We’re all in this together, and we will get through it. Thanks for reading,
Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com
