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It’s safe to say that the times have officially been changed in North America, across Canada, and right here at home in Saskatchewan.

The Coronavirus, COVID-19, ‘The Epidemic’, ‘The Virus’, whatever else you want to call it – it’s become a problem so quickly that it’s affected our daily lives in even the most trivial of ways.  We rethink going out in public now, even if it’s just to the grocery store or the post office.

Then there are the cancellations, postponements and closures.  In Outlook, the town office building is closed to the public for the time being, and the same goes for any town-owned facilities.  Sports are cancelled.  School is out not just for the summer, but for the tail end of winter and into the spring.

Heck, here in Saskatchewan we kind of got a double whammy as far as cancellations go.  If the Coronavirus wasn’t going to affect public events, then the teachers’ job sanctions already were to an extent.  Now, with the virus becoming much more prominent, it was basically a one-two punch that has put Saskatchewan down for the count, at least from an activities and local events perspective.

But in the midst of all that's going on, I hope people take the time to recognize that this Coronavirus situation is affecting real people in real terrifying ways.  My social media newsfeed is flooded with all sorts of posts related to event cancellations and the suspension of everything from major sports leagues to kids' hockey games.  Hey, I get it, those are things that you all enjoy, and you're frustrated that they've been taken away for the time being.  You're allowed to have those feelings.

But how about the single mom working as a low-wage server who isn't doing well in tips because people are avoiding restaurants?  How about the people trying to eek out a living by selling popcorn and sodas at all those sporting events?  How about the already sick and the elderly, who are the most vulnerable?

Yes, it's disappointing that there have been cancellations and suspensions.  I just think people need to look at this from a wider perspective and remember that this whole thing is very scary and very dangerous for some people.  Most of us can joke about this because we live in "comfortable ignorance", but it isn't funny for those actually affected.

If the worst that YOU experience out of the Coronavirus situation is missing out on some hockey or tickets to that show you were looking forward to, I hope you'll consider yourself very lucky and fortunate because that is NOT the reality of the situation for others.

In the end, a good bill of health and a future in front of you trumps everything else.

So, with COVID-19 limiting our lives, what exactly do we do with the time?  We find ourselves asking that very question here at The Outlook.  With public events cancelled or postponed far down the line, I find myself with virtually nothing to write.  Heck, for all I know, this will be the last print edition of this newspaper for the time being, and you may just have to catch us online.

Speaking of online, there's a lot of talk about people overreacting to COVID-19 and lots of posts and memes about raiding grocery stores and stocking up on this or that.  My personal opinion is that I'd rather see us over-prepare for something than under-prepare.

I'd rather we look back on this situation a year from now and shake our heads laughing instead of "remembering the fallen".

So then, exactly what does the immediate future look like?  Well, with school in the province out for the rest of the year, my take may prove to be unpopular with some young folks.

Keep in mind that I'm not a parent, so feel free to take this input with a grain of salt.

If I was the working parent of a teenager(s), I would seriously consider taking my kid to work, at least depending on your profession.  I think that some real, on-the-job, hands-on experience could do wonders when it comes to instilling some work values in kids and you might be helping to inspire them on what they want to do when they're older.

It’s also a great time to be learning some of the essential life skills that everyone should know such as cooking.  Hey, if you can get Junior to learn how to whip up a lasagna and garlic bread, I’d say you’re rocking it as a Mom and Dad.

School may be suspended indefinitely, but I don't think the learning has to stop.

Oh, and just so you’re aware that it’s not all doom and gloom out there, I managed to do some fact-checking and recently got off the phone with some head honchos.

The rumors are true.

With the increased demand from shoppers across North America in the wake of the Coronavirus, Walmart is in fact opening a third register.

For this week, that’s been the Ruttle Report.