It doesn't matter if you've never seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show or if you don't know all the words to its catchy tune "Time Warp." If you are a person or pet on the planet right now, you absolutely understand the concept of a time warp. Can any of us explain how there were seemingly 800 days in March but only five in April? Or how over half of May has slipped away in a haze? Or how I thought I started this blog post yesterday but it was really TWO WEEKS ago?
I originally meant for those questions to be rhetorical, but, as it turns out, there are actually scientific reasons for this phenomena. Time is generally a measure of change, but in coronatime, there is very little change from day to day. Since our daily activities have shrunk, we have no new experiences by which to store memories and clock time. While most of us are staying home every day, venturing outside for just the bare necessities, there is nothing to demarcate a Wednesday from a Sunday.
Basically, coronatime is the opposite of vacation. On vacation, we have novel experiences every day, and each day seems to elapse quickly. When we look back on it, however, our time away seems much longer because of all the memories we made on the trip. In quarantine, however, each day seems interminably long, but somehow eight weeks have flown by because nothing is memorable. Everything in the global world may have changed, but everything in our family bubble remains pretty much the same.
Two years ago, our son was in a horrific accident in NYC. After the accident, he was in a Brooklyn hospital for five straight weeks, and I was with him the entire time. The days and nights were very long and very, very scary. We lost all track of time, focusing only on getting him well enough to come back to NC for rehab. When he was finally cleared for discharge, however, I was terrified. I wasn't sure if he was ready or that I was capable of taking care of him. We had been frightened all along that it would never end, and then we were frightened that it was ending too soon.
That is exactly how I feel now. I have worried for weeks that sheltering-in-place has become our forever normal-- and now I am equally worried that we are ending the restrictions too soon. No matter what happens, however, I believe my perception of time has warped so much that when I look back at the Quarantine of 2020 it will seem like it flew by. I know that's what happened two years ago. When my son was finally back on his feet and feeling 100%, the date was October 11, 2018. In my mind, however, it was still July 21: the day we got the phone call about his accident and my last clear memory.
My point of reference now is March 18: the date when both my children came to Charlotte to shelter-in-place. Even when the days have been long, the overall time has been fleeting. We may not have the epic novel experiences of the past, but we try to make each day memorable in its own way-- whether it's trying a new family game, exercise, or recipe. Not all our attempts have been entirely successful, but this recipe won unanimous approval. It is incredibly flavorful with just a few ingredients.
Thai Shrimp Curry (adapted from Epicurious)
3 limes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped shallots
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 teaspoons Thai red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen brand)
1 13.5 or 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 1/2 to 2 pounds peeled, deveined large shrimp
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup chopped basil
Zest and juice two limes.
Cut third lime into wedges.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add chopped shallots, diced red pepper, and grated ginger.
Sauté until shallots are tender and peppers soften, about 5 minutes.
Stir in curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime zest, and 2 tablespoons lime juice.
Simmer gently, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper and add to curry sauce.
Return to gentle simmer and cook until shrimp are opaque, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Gently stir in cilantro and basil.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with lime wedges, and perhaps naan and/or rice. I also found some edamame in the freezer that was a nice complement.
Wherever you are in the time warp continuum, I hope you can find the space to make some mini-memories of your own.
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