Full Stop

Like many of you, I’ve been watching the coronavirus epidemic unfold, and the hap-hazard government response to it. My philosophy has been to take sensible precautions and otherwise continue as normal. I suspect I’m not the only writer who’s been observing the situation and how people respond. In the end, everything is story fodder. Am I right?

But, not every decision is in my hands. Governor Inslee has declared an emergency and closed all schools until mid-April. That puts me at home and uncertain about what comes next. I do know one thing, though — all my special-ed students will lose the progress they’ve fought hard to make.

Our district and the union promise that our contracts will be upheld. Salaried workers will receive their full pay, and we won’t be penalized for using six weeks of leave if we don’t have it. That’s nice for the certificated teachers. I, however, am an hourly worker. As a paraeducator, my hours are tied to when children are in the building. So even if I feel safe taking my planned vacation to the Grand Canyon, it would be more prudent to stay home and save that cash for future bills.

On the up side, it looks like I’ll have plenty of time to work on Prisoners of the Wailing Tower. Maybe I’ll even finish by the end of this month!

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my web site, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.