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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
Still having trouble with probabilistic thinking. Each time there arises the possibility of entering a building that is not my home, I hesitate. (The exception being my adult child's home, in which everyone who is eligible for vaccination has been vaccinated.) I am venturing inside, but now there's another choice: get in, conduct business as fast as possible, and get out? Or linger and enjoy? Enjoy the stimulation of 3-dimensional space, such as a craft gallery, a few minutes browsing physical books in the library, or even the produce section of the grocery store...? I am aware that my choices are a bizarre and unpredictable combination of actual information and emotional, non-rational "thinking." I went to the art museum because it offers free admission to vaccinated people. It was closed: I found out that because of the pandemic, it's only open 4 days a week, and limited hours. Oh. I'll try again another time. I found a guy to repair a damaged wall in my home, but he texted to cancel: His daughter has "covid," and he has to take care of her and quarantine 14 days. I was surprised, and thought an uncharitable thought: How is this possible? In our state, vaccines have been open to all ages over 16 years, for a while. I know that there are some workers whose employers are difficult, and many people have to choose between Covid-19 risk and insolvency. I don't know if this daughter is a 14-year-old who was allowed to play sports (outrageous) or if she was one of the above-described workers, or if she is an adult who has made decisions injurious to herself and others. With so much information available, as well as vaccines widely available here, it is *nearly* criminal to contract the virus. The outdoors continues to be a solace, and the weather has made it possible (and even inviting) to get outside for hikes and bike rides. To misquote some bumper sticker - a bad day in the woods is better than a good day not in the woods.
May 2, 2021
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
We're starting to plan what to do this summer. It's hard not knowing where things will be with the pandemic at any particular time. It's also hard because most places we'd like to be don't have any vacancies. It's very concerning that Michigan is seeing a lot of hospitalized young people, including children. This makes me hesitant to put my kiddo back out there. The CDC now says that it's not necessary to wear a mask outside if you're fully vaccinated, AND you aren't near other people. I figured it was always safe to do that, vaccine or not, but whatev, I still like seeing people walking down the streets with masks on. It makes me feel like my neighbors care about their community. One week and one day until my second shot.
May 2, 2021
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¿La pandemia ha cambiado su forma de pensar sobre el dinero o sus objetivos y valores financieros? ¿Si es así, como?
May 3, 2021
May 3, 2021
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The pandemic has introduced some new words, like "coronacoaster" and "quarantini". Are there any new words you find especially interesting, useful, or funny?
Each of us is acquainted with at least one "COVIDiot." The person who refuses to wear a mask, get vaccinated or practice safe social distancing. The person who believes that COVID-19 is just a big lie and is merely a political issue. The person who is concerned only with his/her self-interests rather than the greater good. Unfortunately, careless, crass and crazy COVIDiots abound worldwide.
May 4, 2021
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
I have been sad this last week about the reports out of India and Brazil about the conditions in those countries doe to COVID. Sometimes it embarrasses me that the US is so privileged while other nations are struggling to get the coronavirus under control. Yet, at the same time I feel relieved and blessed. It's a conundrum.
May 4, 2021
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Talk about what you think the world will be like after the pandemic is over.
May 4, 2021
May 4, 2021
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
I'm feeling so exhausted by the constant need to decide between viral exposure and starvation.
May 4, 2021
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
An ever-growing nightmare Illness spiraling Hospitals overflowing Supplies lacking Prayers for India
May 4, 2021
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Think about the people closest to you. Tell us about how the coronavirus has affected them, and their life.
My sister was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer 3 months in to the pandemic. My father-in-law died and mother-in-law quickly followed by dying of Covid 3 months later. No funerals. These have been very hard on my two kids (23 and 27). The 27-year old is in med-school and spent 6 months living with me last year and doing her rotations on-line. The other was a barrista in Brooklyn at some hipster cafe where the owner didn’t put up plexiglass shields because “he has an aesthetic Mom”. “How about a coffin? Ya think he’ll like that aesthetic?” She just had to deal with it because she needed to live and that’s what was available. Both of them have had increasing anxiety and depression, and, yet continue marching through their lives like so many other young people whose plans were derailed.
May 4, 2021
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Are you doing anything artistic or creative these days that you weren’t doing before? If so, talk about it.
I took up oil painting last year. I’m 61 and I never painted before. I recently painted this and I quite like it. I call it “Overcoming”.
May 4, 2021
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
Last week, COVID beat me down. Despite the (fleeting) joy of being fully vaccinated for over a month, the never-ending monotony, the frustration with those around me disregarding social distancing protocols and masking, and the aggravation I was feeling towards everyone being "over" COVID was a perfect combination to render me incapable of doing much of anything. For multiple days, I wasn't able to attend to my work, school, or internship duties. I was a puddle - an emotional wreck. Only instead of the full spectrum of emotions, I was stuck somewhere between "hollowed out", "mind-numbingly sad", and "furious" at all times. Instead of leaning into one of the most intense and painful depressive episodes I've ever experienced, I forced myself to move, to do things, to socializing, to exercise, or just to read a book outdoors in the sun. There's a lot of research about how impactful "doing" can be during a period of depression - how the momentum helps to "unstick" individuals who are feeling glued in a dark, hollow, sad place. Even as an aspiring therapist in a MSW program, I scoffed at the notions. Who, me? Do things to feel better when all I want to do is cry on the sofa and sleep all day? Lo and behold, it worked. Not all at once. But little by little, I could feel the full spectrum of emotions seeping back in. During a RuPaul's Drag Race themed Peloton ride, I felt a little joy and laughter. During a bubble bath, I focused on the bodily sensations I was experiencing. There was comfort, again. Over the weekend, my partner and I took our new kayak out for its maiden voyage. I was hesitant, but the giddiness came back. This never-ending pandemic isn't over, but maybe the worst is. Or maybe our resiliency as human beings will just never cease to kick in when it's most needed.
May 4, 2021
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
I am thrilled to proclaim that I am now fully vaxxed! While it does feel like a victory and a vast relief, I do worry about my hesitation to full re-integrate into life. I still keep a solid 6 feet between myself an the neighbors who pop by to chat outside. And I felt very twitchy the other day at an outdoor crafts festival, when a group of people came to close to me. I question if I have lost my sense of reality. Rationally, I know I am protected. But a part of me flinches and balks and still wants to lay low, conducting work business via Zoom, keeping a low at-home profile. Often, I wonder how many others are experiencing this?
May 5, 2021
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
Well, I get my second Pfizer dose tomorrow. It's great that we're getting extra sick time for Vaccine-related illness. This past weekend was really nice. We spent a lot of time outside. I've started walking to shops, which is a great way to get a little exercise now that the weather is nicer. I've acquired a mask with a neck strap, so it's easy to take on and off as needed. The garden is looking great, too.
May 5, 2021
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We’re seeing dramatic differences in rates of COVID infection, illness, and death in different places. What do you think about these differences?
The social disparities that exist in our country are showing up in differential rates of infection, illness and death. I am currently reading the book CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson and her discussion of differential life experiences based on race support the notion that many of the differential experiences related to COVID can be explained by the caste system based on race that exists in the US. : It explains much about which groups have access to good health care and which do not. If you do not have access to good health care, you tend to be sicker to begin with (i.,e. more likely to have high blood pressure, be overweight, have diabetes, etc) and so are more vulnerable to diseases like COVID. I read just yesterday, that one of the biggest differential health markers is the availability and affordability of dental care. This is a category of health care that is not part of our health safety net. Yet, an unhealthy mouth can definitely make you sick, not only in your mouth, but affecting the rest of the body. Disparities in oral health can be broken down by race. Black adults have 2 to 3 times the rate of untreated cavities as older white adults. Back to COVID: Race is a risk marker for COVID. It has unequally affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID. I have read about "social determinants of health" which include the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, play and worship. They affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. One example: there are some jobs that cannot be done from home. If your work requires you to go out, mingle with other people, your chances of getting COViD increase. Many low paying jobs, typically held by minority workers, are "out and about" jobs - jobs that people cannot afford to give up. And so they take the risk and many catch the disease.
May 5, 2021
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
EXCERPT ORIGINAL Since April 14, 2020, I've been creating a daily Haiku accompanied by an image and posting it on my Facebook page. This is my Haiku from April 23, 2021 Day #370 Haiku in Corona Time There’s a lot to mourn But also to celebrate New Roaring 20s?
May 5, 2021
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¿La pandemia ha cambiado su forma de pensar sobre el dinero o sus objetivos y valores financieros? ¿Si es así, como?
En general, ha sido necesaria una mejor administración del dinero. En mi caso, trabajo de forma independiente y no siempre hay trabajo a disposición, tengo que buscarlo y gestionarlo. Entonces, el dinero que gano debo administrarlo de tal forma que cubra mis necesidades durante el tiempo en que no hay trabajo o se realiza la búsqueda de trabajo o se hace la primera fase del trabajo y aún no hay pagos. Una ventaja es que, con el confinamiento, se gasta menos porque se sale menos. Hay menores oportunidades de comprar, por ejemplo. Aunque hay comercio electrónico, es más fácil resistirse a la tentación de consumo. Una desventaja podría ser que compras básicas como los alimentos son más caras porque las llevan hasta la puerta del hogar. Eso incrementa costos para uno. También es cierto que uno quisiera ahorrar, pero es difícil por el mismo esfuerzo de cubrir todo lo básico cuando no hay un empleo a disposición.
May 5, 2021
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
I had an unfortunate incident yesterday. The numbers are low at the moment so I thought it would be safe to have some work done on my house. I arranged to have a skylight installed. It would only take an hour and it didn't seem very risky. I opened all the windows and exterior doors to have a lot of air flow and I closed the doors to our bedroom and bathroom. Two guys arrived, wearing masks and all seemed fine. I sat outside in the backyard. I wore my mask. Then I realised that one of the workers was sniffing, sneezing and coughing. By that time they had already made a hole in the roof and there is a rain storm predicted the next day. So I didn't feel able to stop them. The coughing guy mostly stayed outside on top of the roof, but he did come inside the house as well and he had his mask pulled down. I was too embarrassed to say anything about that. I had to go inside and walk past him a few times to sign the documents. It was worrying. When they left, I waited for about 2 hours to let the house air before I went inside and I disinfected any things they might have touched. I informed the business they work for about this but so far they have not responded. I am not sure how I should have handled this. I should have at least, politely asked the guys to wear the masks properly, not pulled down under their chins. I wish I didn't have to deal with this kind of thing. I suppose I will not be organising anything similar anytime soon. But for how long will this last? Looks like it's going to be a very long time before vaccinations arrive for us.
May 5, 2021
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
After a month or so into the pandemic, around April 2020, I devised a system for setting my groceries aside to quarantine the things which I could not wash. (Later it became things I did not want to bother to wash. I decided I could just have them sit for 4 days before I put them away.) I organized this system by making paper tags with days of the week so I would know on what day I could touch them. This morning, at last, I recycled all those day tags because now I feel that I can just put the things away. I have read There is a one in 10,000 chance of catching covid via a fomite and I have decided that since I am fully vaccinated I am not going to worry about that anymore! Hooray! A bit of freedom! That is my big accomplishment for the week.
May 6, 2021
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We hear a lot these days about the economic impact of the pandemic. Has this been on your mind? If so, tell us what you're thinking.
Pensei em publicar um foto com meu extrato bancário, mas seria de muito mal gosto fazer isso, hahahahhahaa. Brincadeira, só pra descontrair um pouco. Estamos vivendo no limite, sempre com a ajuda do cheque especial e do gerenciamento de dívidas. Ainda não precisamos reduzir as idas na feira para comprar frutas e legumes, mas suspeito que esse momento se aproxima. Dois quintos do nosso ganho em família vai para moradia, e o que sobre dividimos entre as contas e alimentação. Temos circulado pouco, então o custo com a gasolina foi pequenos no último mês, mas com a volta das aulas presenciais é mais um gasto na conta. Compramos uma moto para meu marido ir trabalhar e evitar o transporte público, e ainda estamos pagando o amigo que nos emprestou o valor para não ter que pedir ao banco e pagar os juros absurdos. Minha fonte de renda vem de 3 frentes, todos informais: um trabalho remoto no setor de galeria de arte; um trabalho presencial cuidando de crianças de até 6 anos num quintal parental; e aula uma vez por semana em uma escola infantil. O primeiro me serve para pagar o aluguel; o segundo para pagar o cartão de crédito e o terceiro para pagar o convênio médico. Com o que meu marido ganha, pagamos as contas de luz, gás, internet, a feira, o combustível, algum alimento extra fora do cartão. Mas todo o mês vem a insegurança que se algum desses trabalhos me dispensar, vai ficar bem complicado pra nós. Tento não pensar nisso, usar a positividade e acreditar que sempre virão outras oportunidades, mas é ruim esse sentimento de falta de segurança. Minha vida anda assim desde que saí do trabalho formal para cuidar da minha filha de 6 anos, acaba que a gente se acostuma em viver pendurado, mas é estressante, não dá pra negar que às vezes tira o sono, o apetite, tira até a líbido com o marido, e a paciência com a filha. Ainda que meu marido trabalha em serviço com registro na carteira, e a área dele é como pedreiro na construção civil, esse serviço não foi interrompido em nenhum momento na pandemia, então temos alguma garantia. Mas o ganho dele é pouco e não paga tudo que precisamos para nos mantermos com dignidade. Eu vivi por quase 3 anos na casa dos meus pais, que eu ajudei a manter, que eu reformei para eles terem uma velhice mais confortável, que eu sempre mantive a manutenção, enfim, mas precisávamos ter nossa privacidade e resolvemos sair, mesmo nesse momento delicado. Mas isso está nos trazendo uma paz, pois temos nosso canto e podemos seguir nossa rotina sem interferências, o que tem ajudado a tranquilizar quanto as escolhas. De resto, ajuda a pensar que a maioria está nesse mesmo barco e só nos resta seguir lutando, pedindo ao Divino para termos saúde e forças e fé na vida.
May 6, 2021
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Have any government policies had a direct impact on your life lately? If so, talk about the policy that’s affected you most and the impact it’s had.
I guess the most direct benefit has been the easy availability of vaccines. The previous administration was criminally irresponsible in its handling of the pandemic. Since President Biden took office everyone I know has been fully vaccinated, or soon will be. In addition, I am very pleased that the emphasis is now on outreach to underserved communities. It's the only way to protect all our citizens and stop the spread.
May 7, 2021