Dispatch from quarantine in the suburbs

It is oddly similar, in a way. What's happening outside my window is more or less the same. Traffic on the interior neighborhood streets is minimal, as it's always been. It's a little more common to see people spending time outside, walking their dogs or bicycling/etc, but overall, the visible rhythms of activity in the neighborhood are more or less the same. The playground is closed, but people play in the grass or on the sidewalk. Sure, I assume people are staying at home more now and going places less, but that doesn't markedly change the neighborhood's pulse. It's still typical suburban quiet. Ordinarily, I would have chances to escape, but right now, I don't.

The occasional aimless, meandering walks I've been taking through the boring suburban scenery here just aren't doing it for me. There is nowhere to go. The most interesting thing within walking distance might be the highway overpass just outside the neighborhood, where below, the traffic wordlessly screams by. It's kind of like watching water flowing through a stream but more mechanical and less serene. But in the end, would it really be much different to be stuck at home somewhere else? I can't say. At least elsewhere there might be slightly more interesting scenery to explore via foot or bike, even if places are mostly devoid of people. Here, there is just a smothering, sprawling emptiness.