Editor’s Note: Samra Karamustafic is a student enrolled in Dr. Leo Jeffres’s Specialized Writing class.

I never would have thought that a trip to the grocery store would have me feeling as though I were in an apocalyptic movie of sorts.

It’s been a few weeks since the coronavirus began making waves here in Ohio, especially after the announcement about the first few cases in Cuyahoga County. I can recall a lot of my peers and family members brushing it off, and I have to admit that in the beginning, I kind of did, too.

But then my parents began tuning into the news more and more, and the number of cases in Ohio began to steadily grow higher and higher each day.

Then began the closures, the change in store hours, and the trouble of finding a roll of toilet paper or bottle of hand sanitizer anywhere.  A number of empty shelves in nearly every store I visit is becoming the norm.

It’s odd to have your daily routine flipped completely upside down in the span of a few weeks; from the small things, such as having to turn my car around on my way to the gym because I remember that they are closed, or something of greater importance, like finding out that I won’t be going into work for who knows how long because we aren’t considered an essential business.

But now, as I’m rolling my cart down the cereal aisle (after diligently wiping the handle with sanitizer provided by the worker at the front door), I look around and all I can see are pairs of eyes above a patch of blue or yellow, a scarf, or a bandana. My gaze falls to the floor, where I see the same red sticker placed every six feet, telling us where to stand to keep ourselves and others safe. It’s weird to think about how quickly the situation has escalated, how just a few days ago, many of us were touting the belief that face masks weren’t necessary, and that those who wore them were just overexaggerating. But now, as I have yet to find a face mask in any store or in stock anywhere online, I feel completely alienated and isolated among the shoppers near me.

It's hard to stay away from COVID-19. The phrase “do your part – stay six feet apart” seems to be ingrained in my brain, and my hands have cracked to the point of bleeding far more times than I can count from my mini-sized hand sanitizer (which I am hoping will last a lot longer than intended). But I’m healthy and I’m safe. And my friends and family members are too – and I understand that my being able to say this is an immense blessing.

I catch myself complaining about the silliest things, that I forget to realize there are others out there who have it far worse. Doctors and nurses who are on the front lines, risking their lives to help others. People whose entire family have lost their jobs and are trying to figure out what to do next. Those are the ones who I am keeping in my thoughts through this entire experience.

And although this may be a turbulent time, an uncomfortable time, an uncertain time, the most we can do is to be safe and responsible. Listen to the advice from the professionals, keep your distance, and stay in touch with the ones you care about most.

Now, I’m going to get back to searching for more face masks on Amazon.