It is now April.
On March 22nd there were 35,211 cases of COVID19 in the USA.
On March 29th, (one week later) there were 140, 886 cases of COVID19 in the USA.
Today, not quite another week later, there are 266, 671 cases of COVID19 in the USA, with over a million cases of COVID19 globally.
Over a million is a really big number.
It’s beyond comprehension really, how any human could have unleashed something that transmits and potentially kills from human to human with such speed and accuracy. The truth as to how this happened, lies somewhere between science fiction and horror and fear. This, of course, is only an opinion.
It’s now a week into beginning this journal. In that time… There’s been a death from COVID19 at our local hospital, 2.5 miles away from this house. It is feeling quite real and uncomfortably close here. There’s been a 2+ trillion-dollar relief package passed by the US government. Each adult citizen who falls within a specific income level, is supposed to get $1,200.00 in the next two weeks. The Federal Reserve and the Treasury have been combined, which makes President Trump the new chairman of the Federal Reserve. Not sure how that will work out. Queen Elizabeth has been diagnosed with COVID19.
I contacted our mortgage lender to find out just how this multiple Trillion-dollar relief package works for consumers who own homes, feeling hopeful. This package is supposed to be a help for families like ours. It sounds generous and humanitarian; you will not be charged any fees for not paying your mortgage if the reason is due to this COVID19 virus. You will get a reprieve for from 2 to 12 months. But here is the kicker, which came as a shock. The interest, which is what goes directly into the bank’s pockets, will be due at the end of this “forbearance” period. In full. Not just the principal.
This is the multiple Trillion-dollar relief package, as explained to me yesterday, by the lovely Payton. I wonder just who is feeling relieved? Until told otherwise, regardless of COVID19, the rich will stay that way and the rest of us will pay for them to. This is criminal. We need a new plan. In the face of global annihilation, is it still held that “he who dies with the most toys, wins”? Not by me. Not by my friends. Not by most of us.
A global pandemic has not yet erased the worst things about life on earth. I wonder what it will take to do that. I wonder if it will take greater catastrophe. I wonder these things as I adjust to life “sheltering at home” …
I haven’t seen my adult children since January. Some mornings I forget what day it is. I’ve been wearing leggings and sweaters day and night. We will spend the Easter holiday (4/12/2020) on Skype. I’ve purchased a jigsaw puzzle for us to work on; our puzzle books are almost completed. Mornings start a little later than they used to. Coffee is always on. I am up later at night… it is becoming a bit of a blur, when things are supposed to happen. We are now discussing various styles of masks.
I couldn’t order food online; our grocery chains’ websites were so swamped it was not possible. So, we ventured out. I called the local store and was told NOT to go in the early morning. It appears that these “early morning hours for people with special circumstances” are SWAMPED with shoppers! This cracked me up. It turns out, the best time to go is right after dinner. It was empty when we went, maybe 20 total people in the store. We were wearing rubber gloves and social distancing with the best of them. Empty shelves were supposed to be stocked with Gluten free pizza, tortilla chips, fresh fruit juice, coffee creamer. We didn’t even check the toilet paper aisle. The Easter candy section was pretty sparse.
I feel good some parts of days. These happen when outside, when driving, or hearing uplifting music or people. This song is a keeper. I cry alone and often still, but not as long. Sometimes we laugh, even when we haven’t had a glass of wine. We are really grateful for legal cannabis in Illinois. Sleeping, although often interrupted, happens a bit easier with it.
I have a white board with my “Corona Schedule” on it, to remind me that these things matter: Exercise, showering, eating meals at regular scheduled moments, vitamins and supplements and sunlight.
My hair stylist and my dentist don’t want to see me this month. My cat is wondering why we are here all the time, and keeps following us into the kitchen, looking to eat AGAIN.
We’re sick of Netflix. I still stink at the really hard Sudoku levels, but am getting really good at the 3-star levels. My partner, however, rocks at word searches now. Just ask him.
I think the hardest thing? It’s the distance. It is this that we must figure out first. The shock of this #bioweapon is settling in now… it is time for us to figure out how we will not only survive this thing, but prosper in it. We need contact to do that. Humans are really funny that way. The singing and the street exercising are great and even uplifting, yes. Keep them coming. But it’s in the 30’s in this suburb of Chicago and only the dogs are getting out regularly and socializing. We need a new plan.
So, as we proceed through this pandemic together, we have time to reconsider how we’ll keep our connections alive and thriving. Our answer is in unity. It is time to innovate and create anew. This weekend there is a global call for Peace and Healing. The details and time zones are found here. Please join us. Humanity needs every one of us. Now.
I believe in you. I believe in us. I believe in love.
Sophia
