Under Confinement: Californians See History Unfold

NOTE: KION's Josh Kristianto currently shows no symptoms of COVID-19 (coronavirus). He is self-isolating by his own choice for the benefit of his family and the public after returning from the United Kingdom in a recent trip. News-Press & Gazette Company, who owns KION, has also mandated he stay and work from home to safeguard those working in the newsroom.

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) This last week has been a whirlwind.

From countywide shelter-in-place orders to now a statewide stay-at-home directive, the world as we knew it just a week ago came to a screeching halt.

I thought I had it rough trying to self-quarantine myself after coming back from a week-long trip in the United Kingdom. But it didn't take long for the rest of California to effectively join me in staying at home.

It's been scary, watching the news every day, feeling overwhelmed with all that's happening and hearing about the number of COVID-19 infections growing in the country. It's scary seeing everything come apart in my hometown, Salinas, where the grocery store I grew up going to showed bare shelves for basic items and my beloved movie theaters, Maya Cinemas and Century Theaters, closed down.

My parents have been stocking up on food in case things get worse, and I'm sure many of us are doing what we can to make sure our families are provided for. I can only speak for myself right now: the picture I had of our beloved Central Coast, prone to catastrophes sometimes but moving and bustling along nonetheless, is now shattered.

I always thought we were immune to major things. Sure, we had earthquakes and floods. But we were normally spared from national and international news issues. The tragic shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival last year also tested how I view my safety.

What we're seeing now, for many of us, is nothing short of amazing. Bars, restaurants, businesses of all stripes all impacted and many closed. Schools and airports, churches and synagogues, city buildings, all stand eerily quiet.

It's an event that will stick with us like the Great Depression did for that generation back in the mid-1900s. Perhaps it'll lead us to value our way of life even more, perhaps we'll take things less for granted either. There's many lessons to be learned here during our collective struggle for patience.

I know I'm missing just being able to watch a movie and grab some ice cream with my girlfriend on a whim. We'll do it again some time.