As a essential worker this pandemic have impact my mental being because I have to work more and give time and also take care of others around me. I have to neglect my niece and nephew because of this virus no hugs or kisses from them.
Concern: Safety of those who can't care for themselves
The Least of These From the Fields to Detention Centers
So many of us are utterly consumed with fear and our personal prospects for escaping the contagion of the Corona virus. As we stoke our own anxieties, while we shelter in place, there is precious little else to occupy our thoughts except when this will all be over, and when can we return to some sense of normalcy. It’s human nature I suppose, but these musings will make the leap from self absorption to people in our society who are strangers in more ways than one to us. They live and work among us. Many are integral to our survival; they feed us. Others make our lives comfortable; they clean our houses and cut our lawns. Many are educated and round out the roster of employees in the tech trades. They nurse us back to health. They convey us from here to there. They populate the labs that search for cures to all manner of ailments with which we are afflicted. We may not speak their language, and they may struggle with ours. The cultural differences are myriad. The one point of commonality is that they all came here legally or illegally seeking a better life for themselves and their families. For some this has meant an undefined and indefinite incarceration. The people I speak of are immigrants, and they make this nation what it is. I wish to address the needs of a smaller cohort within the larger whole.I wish to make the invisible visible. I wish to acquaint you with the trepidations of those who do the work that most of us will not. I speak out for those whose voices remain muted in an implacable silence for fear of government retribution. I speak to you of those who toil in the open fields and below a sun that offers no respite. Our farmworkers require the same protections that all other essential workers do and more because the accommodations they are offered where they work don’t meet spatial requirements in this age of Corona. Overcrowded housing, cramped transportation, unsanitary working conditions, and cyclical poverty make the Presidents’ Task Force’s recommendations for social distancing, quarantining and/or isolation impossible.This is May, one month into the beginning of a new planting season. Consider what a sustained outbreak of Corona virus might mean to the farmworker’s ability to complete the work for which they were hired. Then extrapolate out to include the central valleys of California, the meat packing plants of the Midwest. Unabated, we are looking at a break in the food supply chain. I can’t minimize the risk because we already have reported outbreaks. Pork producing plants have been shut down. The current situation cries out for an immediate and proportionate response to the threat. Most of us are living in the moment, not looking down the road, or watching the storm clouds gather on the horizon. Will the search for food be an added caveat to the Darkest Winter?For the moment, let’s take a look at specific vulnerabilities of our farmworkers and recent detainees from the southern US border. With few exceptions they originate from many of the same countries, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The social determinants of health often provide a rationale for increased susceptibilities to disease processes. Economic stability or poverty is first among them. The rest follow in the wake. If you are poor, your are less likely to be educated. Your access to health care is restricted by what you can afford to pay. Your community and neighborhood may be unsafe and prone to gang violence because of a dearth of job opportunities. In any case, these are a few reasons people flee. Most immigrants expect to support themselves by working when they arrive at their destination. Our farmworkers work at or below minimum wage, and consequently subsist at or below the established US poverty level. So please Mr. President don’t promote a bill to lower their pay. Farmworkers provide and invaluable service that has, until recently, been taken for granted.Therefore, what immediate steps might we take to ensure the continuity of the lives of those who are so integral to our food supply. Recent reports confirm that screening and testing in our rural agricultural sector are practically nonexistent. We must move quickly to mobilize the supplies, personal protective gear and tests to this underserved area. Farm operators must strategize as to how social distancing may be implemented in the fields and in transportation vehicles. Housing presents another logistical quandary, for which there is no one size fits all solution that will apply in every setting. If all this sounds redundant, it is purposely so. I write to reiterate and lend credence to what should now be obvious and clear. What seems most advantageous is to get ahead of the contagion in order to short circuit what is sure to be an inevitable, widespread, hugely impactful, catastrophic outcome. Clearly the policies we put in place now may slow the spread of Covid 19, and ensure a continuous pool of workers to the agricultural sector. Releasing more detainees with families in the US will free up space in our overcrowded detention centers. The few that have been released are not nearly enough to make a critical difference. Provide the water and hygiene items that reports say are being denied or woefully insufficient. Educate, test, and treat our detainees who are losing hope and are afraid. Our essential farmworkers and detainees are not sacrificial lambs on the altar of bias and neglect.Now is the time for prudent policy that exemplifies preparation, strategic thinking, and shows vision and compassion. Waiting to see what happens could mean rioting in the streets, Marshall Law, empty shelves, not just from the absence of toilet paper, but bread, meat, and produce. Most precious of all to us would be the unfathomable toll in human life. That is the statistic that cuts to the core of all our precautions, policy schemes, and the weight of what we do now placed upon our hearts and souls.
Family apart
My son who normally goes back and forth between our house and his moms house isn’t around and it’s tough on me and his little brother and sister. His step dad still works in construction and both houses agreed it was best not to take any chances right now.
Surviving online learning during Lockdown 2020
When we think of fortune, we think of massive wealth, treasure hunts, gold mines, and fantastic hordes of gems and jewels. But this year, my idea of fortune is how I am feeling right now, today. Yesterday, I submitted final grades for my four classes of Speech Communication with 110 students. Also, I completed editing my roomies book on graceful aging.Today, I feel accomplished, relieved, and euphoric that, during a pandemic, I am still earning a living by doing what I love. I enjoy teaching young people how to communicate impactfully. In my classes, people age 16 to 50 learn three things:Critical thinkingCritical listeningOutlining and References in APA StyleNow, that looks like a shortlist for a college course. But ask my students if it is that simple. They will tell you it is not.So, Im feeling accomplished because I managed to pull 90% of my students through the switch to online learning, once the lockdown caused our school to close. Of 110 students, seven dropped the course before the lockdown. Nine failed the course because they gave up due to technical difficulties. Perhaps, they did not have a computer or laptop. They may not have WiFi or an internet connection. They could have children at home and not be able to concentrate on schoolwork. There are a plethora of reasons why 16 students did not get through my Speech Communication course.On the bright side, of the 94 students who made it through, there were:44 As or 40%28 Bs or 25%14 Cs or 18%8 Ds or 7%10% of my 110 students this semester either dropped before or after the lockdownI am off for 18 days. I will teach this course over the summer in three classes. Two are 12 weeks and one is six weeks. My challenge is to revert back to my lesson plans for shorter courses since the Fall and Spring terms were 16 weeks long. The fortune is that I taught this class in ONE month at three other schools. So, my real goal is to relax and enjoy my time off.Stay well and enjoy a Happy Springtime!
Creativity Rules
My coronavirus story began in early March. At that time, one of our families who has a child that comes to our shop for training had a member that was visiting Italy. When they returned, I asked the family to take a two-week break from bringing their child into the shop. From then on I started making all kinds of rules about keeping everyone safe. By March 14 or so, I decided to close the shop and bunker up at home. Also, around the same time I started to have a big problem with my knee and was in a great deal of pain so I couldnt really move around anyway. We all stayed home for a month. My son, who has severe autism, stayed in bed all day and I decided he was probably in a depression. So as I was starting to feel better, I realized I had to get him out and we went back to the shop to start working and making Chocolate. Eventually we decided we had to figure out a way to keep our revenues up and I invited some of our employees to also come back into the shop but stagger their schedule so nobody was there at the same time. We eventually put the word out to the community and we had a very successful Mothers Day truffle event. This is let us to develop new ways of marketing including curbside pick up and eventually were going to be doing delivery. And we have really boosted up our mail order business. My family is ultra safe. We do not go to any stores or any restaurants of any type. We eat at home every day and we wear masks when we go out but honestly other than our house and my shop, we dont go anywhere. Everything we need we get delivered. And my husband washes it off before comes in the house. We are both in our 60s and dont want to take any chances. Additionally, my son with the autism is very behavior really difficult and this change in routine has caused him a lot of problems. Hes been changing up his medications with the psychiatrist but the whole situation has just exacerbated the problems. Basically our whole family revolves around his needs and we have to be very careful that we are able to meet them no matter what. For instance, he only eat certain foods and snacks and I have to make sure I have them on hand. Additionally, no matter what, we have to stick with his routine. But I will say having him going back to work at our shop has made a big difference. I think this time is about creativity, consideration, and understanding of others needs as well. I hope everyone can come together and work on creating a safer and healthier world.
Life is an everyday experience.
The Corona Virus has changed my life drastically. It has created a new way of living, a new norm, as well as a sense of caution and panic within me. I am unable to do things that I normally enjoy doing, such as going to the movies, mall, out to eat, traveling, etc. I am forced to practice a new lifestyle that I am learning how to do day by day. Its a surreal feeling to know I cant pick up a gallon of milk from Publix without a mask on, or pump gas without gloves on. Its even a big deal to cough and sneeze. People give dirty looks and stare, or walk away. So many new rules to follow. Its tough, but I understand the importance of all the guidelines in place. The virus has also made me more aware of where I sit, what I eat, what I touch, where I stand, and even with whom I do these things. I am more aware of my surroundings. I wash my hands more frequently. I am very cautious. I am also using this time to spend more time with my teenager daughter. This experience teaches us to enjoy what we have, before what we have becomes what we had.
My story (Story #560)
The coronavirus has clearly affected everyone in so many way. In my case, I have had a lot of time to truly think about myself. Before this pandemic started, I was not in the best mental state. I had a lot of family problems and really needed a break from all of it. While the quarantine is making me stay home with my family, I have a lot of time to decompress and focus on me and what really matters. Family problems still happen but I feel I am able to cope with it all a little better due to the time I have to really think.
Pros and Cons
Corona has had a positive and negative impact on my life. Negatively because of the loss of income, positively because it allowed me to reach out to my love ones more often and show my concerns
The boredom
Well first of all, life isnt the same since he whole coronavirus thing going on, I been at home for about two months now and I dont get to see my friends plus Im scared for my life. The virus have changed my whole life for instance online school instead of going to school all of this because of the social distancing.
Half full (Story #533)
The virus just giving me time off to think about my next moves and actually workout and catch up to where I need to be in everything Yea it is bad but I look at the glass half full