Wow. 20/20 is supposed to be Perfect Vision, right? So why oh why is it like a Fuzzy Dice is swinging back & forth over my eyeballs? And, it’s not the cataracts growing.
No, it’s like we’re on a never ending roller coaster ride. So many wild twists, turns, dips & falls we are afraid we’ll get tossed out if we don’t hold on til our knuckles are white.
I thought this year started out OK. Not Fantastic, but still OK. Up until the end of February, most days were mundane. Boring, evidently, because I don’t remember anything in particular that stands out, except for how many people were getting horribly sick with flu. The play I was in rehearsal for was cancelled because so many were sick.
Then, Steve got sick. He was miserable. Headache, sore throat, body aches & pains. He went to Dr, they gave him pills. He came home & the next night I got sick. Chills so bad I couldn’t stop shaking. Neither one of us was diagnosed with Covid-19, but we had this before they figured out all the other symptoms besides respiratory, so, who knows. We believe we probably Did have it.
So, all in all, we probably had this for a few weeks – the wracking cough, achy body, etc. We made it through like a couple ragged champs. Tired, achy but not sick like we were. Then – my office closed because of the Covid. Closed for 30 days, but take everything home that personally belongs to you. Ends up – office permanently closed. Crap. Seriously?
Our governor ordered shut downs for 30 days to try to stop or at least slow down the virus from spreading. The Vegas Strip Closed. It had never closed. Casinos were boarded up. Ducks walked down The Strip instead of hundreds of cars and people. It was Bizarre. The shut down lasted almost 2 + months.
Schools closed for the remainder of the school year. Kids were taught at home via computer with help from frazzled parents.
We were in a Pandemic. Thousands are sick. Thousands are dying. Hospitals in New York are over capacity, bodies were being stored in refrigerated trucks. Medical personnel didn’t even have what they needed to protect themselves while they cared for the sick.
Toilet paper, paper towels, kleenex, clorox wipes & hand sanitizer were nowhere to be found. The store shelves were wiped out – not just paper products, but canned goods, boxed foods, Meat! People stocked up. They were scared. Sears catalogs don’t arrive like they used to. What will we wipe with?
Businesses on The Strip started re-opening in late May or June. Does this mean everything’s back to normal? No. This is a New Normal. Everyone wears a mask now – at least here in Nevada. Many are protesting the masks. Others, like me, decide to use them as a new fashion accessory. Social Distancing – stay 6′ apart.
Racial tensions are high. A few really bad cops make it worse by killing a black man over a bad $20 bill. Riots break out. Looting and burning happen instead of peaceful protests.
Restaurants re-opened with new seating rules. Many small businesses are hurting. Big ones, too. Unemployment is out of hand. So many claims, states have a hard time keeping up. People are afraid to go back to work in case they catch the virus, but also afraid not to. They need money. There’s a moratorium on evictions. It’s a bad Catch 22 situation.
It’s September – School is back in session. Some are open with kids attending with new rules. Some still have Distance Learning.
Businesses are realizing it’s not that bad having employees work from home. Will this virus change the way we’ve always thought of an office environment? Will Zoom meetings become the norm?
And, it’s a Presidential Election Year. Some states are asking folks to vote by mail. Poll places will still be open, but with restrictions to keep people safe.
Of course, some people protest the mail in voting. That was bound to happen. You can’t please everyone. I mailed my Primary votes in & felt confident.
Now, the President is telling his supporters to mail their vote AND Vote at the polls, too, just in case. Good grief.
We still have almost 4 months left in this year. This blog doesn’t come anywhere near to covering the first 8 months in entirety.
My heart hurts for all of the people hurting physically & financially. People are still scared, worried, overwhelmed. Many have lost family & friends. Many are still unemployed.
I talk to God. I carry on my own kind of conversations with Him. I try to have some sort of meditation, of calm & relaxation everyday. Even if it’s just before I go to sleep as I try to quiet my mind. Painting, whether it’s a good piece of art or not, is a big part of my week. That’s my time to let go, only concentrating on the colors and what I can do with them.
We all need something to help us relax during this time. This time is harder for some than it is for others. We need to remember this in our daily lives. We may not be able to physically hug as often as we did. But, expressing a Hug with actions and words can help.
It’s a time for Kindness. A time to agree to disagree and not get violent or argumentative about our disagreements. SMILE. Smile with your eyes so folks at the grocery store can See Your Smile. Smiling makes me feel so good. Even behind my mask.
✌️❤️🎶☕☀️
kimbi's words, doodles 