Pandemic Diaries Weeks #19 & #20

31 July 2020

I've been feeling resistant about writing this week, and I'm not sure why.  Is it that there isn't much going on?  There often isn't, but I manage to find something to write about anyway.

Is it that this is week 19 or 20 (five months!) of our slowdown and, for those of us over age 60 or with serious health conditions, continuing self-isolation?  Am I that tired of not doing much, hanging around, reading, playing on the computer, making art?  Partly, but I tend to be rather introverted, so I'm not normally out there partying or socializing, unless we're in western Washington state.  Even then, I spend time reading and such.

I'm thinking maybe my issue is that what I write about often feels frivolous in the face of life during a global pandemic.  And especially here in the USA, where this virus is seemingly spreading unabated.  Over 1000 people are dying every day - that's about the total population of our middle school when I was teaching there, students and teachers, paraprofessionals and principals, kitchen staff and office staff and custodial staff and probably some visiting parents as well!!!  All added together.  That's the number of people dying every day in our country of this virus, and it feels like half the people don't care.

Or the fact that we're now at 4.6 million cases of this virus right now.  OVER FOUR AND A HALF MILLION CASES of this virus that kills, maims, leaves permanent damage.  We don't have a cure, no matter how much some people tout hydroxychloroquine.  We don't have a vaccine.  And keep in mind this is 4.6 million cases in roughly a five or six month period of time.  Where will we be in one year, eight or nine million people sick with this virus?

Plus people are still out on the streets protesting for equal rights for all, regardless of ancestry, culture, color of skin, socio-economic status.  People are asking for basics - the right to walk down a street without fearing for their lives.  To be able to shop in a store without being followed by the store security.  To not be afraid at a minor traffic stop.  To not even have that minor traffic stop over a fabricated excuse when the real reason is the color of their skin.  Is that so wrong, to ask for that to cease?

Meanwhile, the inhabitant of the White House has sent storm troopers to major cities where he personally thinks the mayor does not have control of the population.  Where people are exercising their First Amendment rights to protest and speak out against oppression, inequality, racism, and the continuing death by police.  And all these storm troopers are doing is creating their own havoc in the name of, well, I don't know what.  Unlabelled storm troopers hauling people off the streets, jailing them for unspecified charges, and saying they can only leave if they swear they will not protest again.

And behind the scenes, there are reports that those who are vandalizing and burning buildings, breaking windows, and committing various acts of property damage are often from the other side of the political spectrum, merely creating the illusion that the protestors are the vandals and arsonists, when in reality it's the ultraconservatives.

Land of the free???  Home of the brave???  A model of democratic government???

So yeah, talking about bunnies or turtles seems so inconsequential.

I'm not saying there haven't been good points during the past week or two.  Richard and I enjoyed our two weeks in Ventnor.  It was great being near the beach.

It was even better having a visit from our nephew and great-nephew, spending time hanging out with them and just talking, or walking on the beach.

We've had two separate evening visits with nieces and their adorable kids, three each - somehow spending time with the up-and-coming generation is always uplifting.  Kids have such enthusiasm, it's contagious. 

But all of that doesn't always lead to an interesting blog post.

I'm sorry to not be my usual cheery self at the moment.  It is disheartening to be living through all of this.  There are so many simple solutions - wear a mask.  Don't party in big groups indoors.  Let everyone vote by mail the way we do in Washington and Oregon.  Look at what is happening in Stockton, CA, and you can understand what people mean when they say defund the police. 

I could go on and on.  But it's getting late, and I will reread this before I decide whether to publish it or not.

3 August 2020

So, in the spirit of documenting life during a pandemic, it seemed appropriate to post this blog. 

As Richard said, it shows a different side of me, of us, of our life. 

I do try to be cheerful, to see the positive and focus on the good things happening, to take pleasure in the small and everyday things that make the world a beautiful and happy place.

But in the midst of a pandemic, in the midst of social unrest and political upheaval, sometimes that just needs to be addressed.