When I moved in with A. about four and a half years ago, at the beginning of the pandemic, I would stand at the windows and look out at the roadways because I liked the view but also because we were spending a lot of time inside and I found myself mesmerized, or intrigued, by the quiet into which the city had been plunged due to the restrictions on movement and activity that had been advised, or were mandated, by those in certain positions in government, and that were propagated by many in the media.