Reconfinement: Here we go again…
November 1, 2020 at 7:52 pm 2 comments

The numbers are high, too high. The curfew wasn’t really helping anything. (Honestly, very few people thought that it would.) And so we have been confined to our homes again. We have to carry attestations, explaining why we are leaving our homes if we are leaving them, and there are only a certain number of reasons that are acceptable for doing so. Many stores, and all restaurants and bars are closed. We have to stay within a kilometer of our homes. And so on…
This confinement is supposed to be “different” (i.e. less confining) than the one last spring. I’m not sure it really is less confining, but it certainly is more confusing. Never mind the details: they are, well, confusing…
However, the main idea is clear. Stay home. Be careful. Wear masks. Wash hands, don’t touch face. Etc.
And the purpose is certainly clear: to keep as many people as possible safe, and healthy. And to keep the hospitals from becoming overcrowded, and healthcare workers able to do their jobs without becoming totally exhausted.
So, okay. Deep breath. On y va encore…(or should I say on y reste encore?)
And once again, I must acknowledge this important fact: if one has to be confined somewhere, I have very little to complain about.
In fact, I have absolutely nothing to complain about.
Stay well, everyone. Et prenez soin de vous…

Janet Hulstrand is a writer, editor, writing coach, and teacher of writing and of literature who divides her time between the U.S. and France. She is the author of Demystifying the French: How to Love Them, and Make Them Love You, and is currently working on her next book, a literary memoir entitled “A Long Way from Iowa.”
Entry filed under: About France, About the Pandemic.... Tags: France, reconfinement.
1.
cochranels | November 1, 2020 at 8:10 pm
Same here, Janet. We are staying in a hotel in Los Angeles waiting for our moving van to arrive…SURELY it will be tomorrow, or Tuesday at the latest. Moving across country in the midst of a pandemic may seem crazy, but, hey, we need to be near our son, daughter-in-law, and 2-year-old grandson, so why delay?
We have NOTHING to complain about, and the weather here in Santa Monica is gorgeous, even on cloudy days. We send you all the best, and we’re so glad your sons are with you.
Scottie & Louie
2.
Janet Hulstrand | November 2, 2020 at 8:18 am
Wonderful to hear from you, Scottie and Louie! And what good news that you have taken the leap. I always believe in doing the “crazy” thing, especially if it is for the purpose of being near your loved ones. Bisous to you from la (toujours) belle France!