Because of a family emergency, my niece flew from New York to Tucson three weeks ago to stay with me. My trip out to the Tucson International Airport to pick her up was a first for me and it was the emptiest airport I’ve ever seen! As I waited–socially distancing by 50 feet and more–I began to notice things I may not have looked at under other circumstances.
Like the blue wheelchairs tucked away in a corner looking like an art installation…
And the actual art that looks like luggage and a clothes closet that was commissioned by the Airport to fit beneath the stairs…
And the shockingly vacant American Airlines counter…
And the hyper social distancing that everyone was practicing including me. I wasn’t going to sit down near anyone… (Sorry these photos are so out of focus but keeping a distance from everyone else was the Number One idea in my mind. Focusing was not.)
My niece arrived and we rushed out of the airport. She told me that everyone on board the plane wore masks, but that the plane was packed. No seats left vacant for social distancing. We didn’t talk about it much but both of us were worried about whether she had been exposed to the Covid 19 virus during the flight. Like me she had been practicing social isolation in her home. 10 days later she flew back to New York where she had to undergo a state-mandated self-quarantine. Her quarantine expired 2 days ago. She is healthy.
Tomorrow I plan to post about Arivaca where Joy, my sister and my niece’s mother lived. A total character and free spirit, she passed away late last month.
