Today President Donald Trump of the United States has has spoken about the corona virus. It has been declared a pandemic. The one continent it has not reached is Antarctica. Unless the penguins have it. In which case would be sad because they are so damn cute.
  I am currently experiencing the chaos first hand. I am a grocery store cashier for superone in my city of Duluth. Now Duluth is not a pretty big city compared to many in Minnesota with a population of about 86,000. For now at least. No one really knows how much that number is going to decline once the virus hits.
  Today I worked the 4-10 shift. I don't like working nights because it's always slow after 6 so there's really nothing to do. When I walked in at around 3:45 I couldn't even hear myself think. People were laughing, chattering, and arguing. Mostly about corona. "You know it's a pandemic now?" Says one man. "Gotta stock up" says another. My manager ran up to me. "Thank God your here. I need you to hop on a register right now." I just responded with a simple ok and went to the back where I hung up my coat, put my purse on the floor because I couldn't find an open locker, clocked in, grabbed a walkie, and mall walked to the front. I grabbed my till and looked around for my manager. She found me before I found her and yelled from about 20 feet away "hop on register 3". It was so loud i could barely hear her but that was the typical register for 4-10 shifters so I kinda figured she would have me there anyways. I hopped on and the second I turned my light on I had a line that reached back to the bread wall. I had just started six hours of absolute hell.
   Come 7 o'clock it was time for break but it didn't seem like there was any letting up with the lines. I turned my light off but I wasn't able to actually get off the register until I actually had to tell people to go to another register because I was closed. I was finally able to leave from the register but the conversations about corona continued ringing in my head. "it's a pandemic now", "were going to be quarantined". It got me thinking if I should prepare for this too. I live with my sister and I don't really want to stock her cupboards with food I bought if I don't have to. Besides. It wouldn't be that much anyways. I had only gotten an $87 paycheck this week because I went home after an hour one day because I didn't feel good. I don't get many hours anyway so if I have to call out it doesn't look good for me pay wise.
  It seems like I have the worst luck too. Because it seems whenever I have to may my phone bill I get the smallest paychecks so I don't have hardly any money for the week. At least we get payed every week. But it's still hard. I don't know why it seems hard to me because I don't need to buy anything else. There's no necessities but I have a hard time saving. A lot of my paychecks actually end up toward my smoking. Whether it be buying juice for my vape, buying new coils, or buying the good stuff like marijuana and dabs. Now I know what your thinking.. oh she's just a pot head. But I smoke not because I think it's fun but because I have some health problems. Vaping calms my nerves with all of my stress and anxiety. And marajuana helps with the pain with my scoliosis and pyroformic syndrome. The doctor told me to schedule physical therapy but when they called I was at work and couldn't answer. And I am at school from about 8:30 to 3:30 so I can't call to schedule a time.
  Before I knew it my break was over. I got up slid my name tag through the punch and headed back out. The lines were bigger than I had seen all day so far. I got back on the register and quickly turned my light on. It was so busy they had our grocery staff (which stock the shelves) subbing in as cashiers. My line was once again full. I couldn't wait to get off.
  Eventually the time had come. So I turned off my light. Counted the change and documented it on the designated slip. Weaved my way through all of the people making their ways through the isles and reached the back without being stopped by a customer looking for something that I probably didn't even know where it was. I said goodbye to everyone and then got into my boyfriends car who often gives me rides because I don't have my lisence yet.
  We went back to his house. And i payed down on the couch. "Amber!" Michael said kind of loudly. I looked up and saw he had a dab waiting for me. I was in so much pain I didn't even know if I could walk over there. I gained the courage to get over there. I took the biggest hit I could, hacked my lungs out, and then returned to the couch. My pains gradually went away. I went upstairs to lay down but was asleep within minutes.