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REL101
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2020-10-05
The Year 2020
I hope people can relate to my message and see that it takes all of us to succeed. -
2020-09-15
ASU COVID-19 Interview Image
This picture is of me taken after an EOSS Social Roundup interview about my experience with school, work, and life during the COVID- 19 pandemic. This picture was also uploaded to the Arizona State University Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation Instagram page (asunursingandhealth) and scholarship page. This interview will be incorporated to a video that will be shown to incoming first year students. The goal of this project was to clarify any questions that any future students may have and provide comfort to them through the firsthand experiences of multiple students at Arizona State University. Students were taken to various parts of the Downtown Phoenix Arizona State University campus and were asked questions pertaining to their involvement in campus, class, and how they incorporated safety measures while attending on campus. Personally, I was able to give detailed responses about how professors handled in- person classes and what measures they took to keep their physical students safe. I was also able to share my work experience at the university during this pandemic. I work at the university residential hall and Sun Devil Fitness and Wellness Complex. I was able to give a detailed description of how we, at my student jobs, have taken various measures to keep a safe and sanitary environment to keep our residents and patrons safe through this pandemic. My interview was also able to give an insight of living on campus during this academic year. I was able to answer questions about precautions that has been taken by university housing to keep their residents safe from this virus and reduce the potential spread. Overall, I hope that my insight given in this interview will put future incoming students at ease or encourage them to come to campus. All of this is to show the students that we are taking various safety measures to keep them at low risk and show them that they are in our best interest. -
2020-10-08
Time to Slow Down and Reflect
What I have learned the most through COVID 19 is how much hate there is in the world. I am a miniscule piece of this planet and if I can strive and share a positive attitude, I would want that for everyone else. Life isn’t perfect, but we can try to be more respectful, caring, and understanding of others. This time of quarantine has really shown me how much I needed to slow down. Slow down and really reflect and meditate what is truly important to me now, and what is important to me and for my future. The hate that we focus on in our society comes from years and years of hurt and hatred. But it’s time for a change; it’s time for us to learn about each other and get to a point where we can all respectfully understand each other. You can never understand what everyone is going through, but they go through it every single day. It’s important to make sure others aren’t alone, and that healing takes time. The constant grind that we live going to work, being social, going to school, and traveling gets tiresome and the quality time of it all gets drowned by the stress and drama. We can use this time of quarantine to stop and realize what truly is important for our health: mental, physical, and spiritual. -
2020-10-08
My COVID Experience
My COVID experience has been mostly unremarkable. I am a fairly introverted person to begin with, so quarantine wasn't really a big deal for me. The only new thing to have come from this experience is having to wear a mask. Thus, why I added a mask to an image drawn of myself with a mask on. -
2020-10
Stuck Inside
I started a new job in February 2020. Not even a month later my work life completely changed. I do not know what my workplace is like outside of COVID. Not to mention, I do not know what any of my coworkers look like without a mask on! I sleep all day when I am not at work, which is very unhealthy, and I have little to no human interaction when my work day is over. On the bright side, I did start seeing someone who has changed my life. -
2020-03-09
The Lies #REL 101
This object is something that the president of the united states said to his people in response to the start of this pandemic. Telling them that this whole virus is just a hoax and that hardly anyone would contract this virus because it is not strong enough. In the beginning Trump failed to accept this virus is a dangerous thing and that he needs to do something in order to protect his people but instead he did nothing and the United States of America has become the hot spot of this virus and the laughing stock of the world. Throughout the process of the virus only becoming worse he did not suffer it was us the people who had to deal with it the most. What this shows the people of the pandemic is that it was not taken seriously and our national leader lead us to our own demise. The pandemic has lasted nearly a year since today, October 8, 2020, and we are still having people ignore that this is a real issue because our leader does not see it as one. What people failed to seem to understand is that the only reason that we are still in this pandemic is because of the person new have put in office. This is important to me because it shows everyone how much of a joke our president is and how his stubbornness was more important than all of the thousands of lives that have been lost to this pandemic. It is also a showcase of what a joke our president is and how this needs to be changed. This just goes to show how this man has done nothing for the people beside doom us all and lead/ kept us in this pandemic that could have been prevented from getting to where it has gotten. -
2020-10-19
I Don't Want To Stay Home
I never really went out and did anything before the pandemic hit, but now that I have no choice whether or not I go out or stay home, I hate it. I feel imprisoned. #REL101 -
2020-10-08
How Covid-19 took over the world
It has been such a crazy time witnessing how this pandemic has evolved these past couple of months. I clearly remember how queasy I felt once I heard that there was a positive case confirmed at my university. The environment around campus just seemed a bit odd; everyone felt confused, anxious, and even a bit fearful. At that moment, people really didn’t use masks and were downplaying the virus as if it wasn’t anything to worry about. This made me feel a bit hesitant to wear a face mask since I didn’t want people to think I seemed too exaggerating. As the days passed, the number of positive cases drastically increased not only on campus, but around the world as well. At that point I knew it wasn’t a simple virus and that I shouldn’t care about others’ opinions in regard to face masks. I started to be very precautious and wear my face mask everywhere I went. Eventually, the transition to virtual classes was instituted and I got to stay home for the rest of the school year. Although I felt safe staying inside, the news and social media was very successful at causing anxiety in my household. It was very overwhelming to hear the progression of this virus and how many people were losing their lives because of the pandemic. This made going out to buy groceries such a fearful experience, especially since not everyone used their masks which could have exposed so many people to this deadly virus. I remember asking myself, will wearing a mask become the new norm in this society, will we have to get used to carrying face masks everywhere we go just like our purse or identification card? I remember learning about the bubonic plague, or the Spanish flu in my history classes, but I never imagined I would experience a pandemic myself. -
2020-10-05
Smiles behind the masks
The photograph can be interpreted in many ways. How I interpreted it was how the COVID-19 pandemic help to reunite families who their focus on the American dream. Many families consist of 9-5 jobs, after school activities, and so forth. This leaves many children or other family member feel disconnected, but now with many places shutdown, stay at home orders, and virtual learning families how found that joy and bonding among their family. Interacting and bonding with family while living a joyful life is the true American dream not the cookie cut house with the white picket fence. -
2015-04-13
What If We Had Been Better Prepared?
This story is important to me because I was raised to always be as well prepared as possible. In this video Bill Gates talks about options the worlds governments can take to help prevent and/or aid in global pandemics. The ideas he presents range in intensity, from increasing the amount of first responders to staging pseudo-war games for attacking the outbreaks most efficiently. The first time I remember a large scale disaster that could have been prevented, saved lives, time and money was the BP oil spill in the gulf of Mexico. The cost of the spill range from about 60 billion, reported by British Petroleum, to an estimated 140 billion. The spill and loss of lives, both human and oceanic, could have been prevented by the company implementing and following global operating policies for deep-water oil drilling. -
2020-10-08
In the times of a Pandemic
The year of 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. No matter if your young, old, rich, poor, a new born, or a high school student. Things has been pretty tough. The world introduced to a virus that could kill people known as the Corona Virus. Into the 4th month of the year, children were forced to stay home, and the working class unless they were an essential worker were moved to work from home. Who would have thought that big companies would have majority of their workers take advantage in the work from home program. Many Americans had found themselves taking on new challenges that they didn't think they were ready for. Children are no longer going to school, but instead they are learning through a virtual experience. Their parents are not only working from home, but also taking on a second role as teacher to help their children. This year has been a whirlwind for many, but through meditation and allowing our lungs to be filed with the air that we breath, everything takes a standstill. With this being said, I have found new hobbies and ways to help my well being in this chaotic year. I chose to highlight the Namaste photo because it represents the fact that we need to all take a deep breath and say everything is going to be okay. I hope that you can do the same by breathing in and out, and focusing on the good! -
2020-05-15
Exercising through COVID
The time lapse video shows a little snip-it of how I dealt with quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses were forced to shut down for a few months to ensure everyone's safety was first priority. One of the businesses that were shut down were gyms. I was very saddened by this business shutting down because my physical health is very important to me. Physical health has a lot of affect on mental health as well. To keep my mental health in check during this pandemic, I would workout almost every day so that I didn't let myself go through these months of being quarantined. My best friend came over to my house almost everyday for about an hour to workout in my living room. We worked out together to not only stay in touch during these trying times, but to also keep each other motivated to keep pushing ourselves. The only equipment we had access to were dumbbells and a bench. These two things were all we needed to keep going in our physical strength during these rough couples of months. My friend and I were anxiously waiting for the gym to open back up and while we were working each week still not knowing when the gyms will open again, I kept trying to challenge us. Almost every week I introduced a new workout to our list because sometimes it was so unmotivating to do the same workouts every day. I constantly researched and watched videos of what we can accomplish with just some dumbbells and a bench. We definitely got creative with some of our exercises. Although the pandemic kept us away from the gyms, my friend and I decided early on that our mental and physical health will not deteriorate for these next couple of months and we will give it our all. -
2020-10-08
An Unsure Election
The experience of the election is changing. As a poll worker, I'm seeing this first-hand. -
2020-10-08
Watch Me Grow Right Through The Concrete Cracks
The story behind this image is something I hold true to my creative process, in aspects of the pandemic, what I would like people to know is that even when life seem colorless with no blossom, we have the capacity to make something beautiful out of pain, fatigue and tiredness because humans are relentless and resilient, like a flower growing right through the cracks. -
2020-07-14
Managing through COVID-19 #REL101
I cannot upload personal pictures from work, but I have been managing a Starbucks through COVID-19. This is an official Starbucks Partners Instagram post of some of our safety plexi-glass guards on our bars to reduce contact between our partners, and our mandatory mask policy. I have spent anywhere between 40-60 hours a week at work this whole time and so I thought it most appropriate to speak on my experience as an essential worker. In the beginning of the pandemic, we were changing rapidly and frequently, with so many conference calls I could barely keep up. I was incredibly new in my role as Store Manager, so when we shut the cafe's down across the company it made it very hard for me to create relationships with my regulars, but I got to know my baristas very quickly. My team has become very close and work together more like a family than anything else. During the lockdown portion of the pandemic, we were the only people we saw outside of our families for about three months. This whole experience has made me seek out new hobbies and really appreciate my time with my friends (when I can see them) because you never know how long it may be until you see them again. At my location, we are training our new staff in order to try to get our cafe back open soon. It has been so long now that it will be very strange for the newer staff to see people inside our building for the first time. -
2020
Mourning During COVID
Being a pastor in the time of COVID-19 has been a difficult task, and nothing has been more difficult than leading people through the process of mourning the loss of loved ones. In my church, multiple people have lost husbands, fathers, and friends. Towards the beginning fo the pandemic our church lost one of it’s most recognized members to complications due to surgery. However, because of the coronavirus the standard practice of end-of-life ministry, helping the family with mourning, and leading them through rituals which help the family receive closure with their loss was unavailable. I, as the person’s pastor, was unable to be with him in his last days, and neither was his wife. Any final prayers, family meetings, religious discussions surrounding the topic of death which are standard with pastoral ministry were impossible because of the virus. The funeral was small, less than a dozen people. Many of their friends and family were left without any normal medium to mourn and lament the loss of their friend, husband, father, and brother. This left many people in spiritual limbo, and drastically changed the way people were able to mourn. Religious funerals, grief care, and even simple things like having people cook meals for them are invaluable to help with the process of mourning loss and accepting death, not just for the immediate family but for all around. A family friend can, perhaps, mourn by bringing the family flowers or food directly. But, under COVID there is too much of a risk. They now have to mourn alone. The same goes for family. Though they had a small graveside burial, they didn’t receive the social benefit of being surrounded by all who loved and were affected by their husband and father, the edification of seeing the sum, value, and product of their life expressed through tears, laughter, and people united to mourn and celebrate life. The ceremonies themselves, offering a wealth of support during a time of mourning, is enough of a loss, but there is more. After the rituals end, the family is still left without a core member of their life and need further help to manage their grief. Normally, in religion, a pastor can offer a level of grief counseling. But for those technologically behind, who can’t FaceTime or use Zoom, receiving this care becomes both difficult and brings up several ethical issues. How does a pastor, like me, meet with an elderly woman to walk them through grief? How can this be done without risking infection? Is it better to leave them alone to mourn without their religious community and authority? All of these problems have brought light to the importance of religious responses to major life events. Beyond the topics of faith, belief, dogma, and the supernatural, religion offers a wealth of benefits to people’s basic life needs, be it sociologically, psychologically, or existentially. It helps them put words to the indescribable pain they feel. It gives them a channel to express the loss in their heart. It gives communal space to lament, cry out, laugh, and find meaning through suffering and pain. Religion gets people through the darkness that is inherent to existence. COVID, however, has changed how this is done, and actively harmed people’s ability to mourn in a proper, healthy way. There is now one less way to manage traumatic, scarring life events, and find healing and recovery that comes with the penetrating pain in death. Hopefully, we will find healing from COVID, but not just the virus itself, but all that has been lost because of it. Hopefully, we can find healing from the loss of mourning, the loss of celebration, of community, of sacred expression. The sickness from the virus is only one thing of many which can bring devastation. To fight the virus is only part of the process of restoration. We also need to recover everything else in our lives the virus ripped away. -
2020-10-08
How COVID-19 Has Impacted My Life
This story talks about my experience amidst the pandemic, and how it has impacted my life. This is important to me because this time is so unusual and is definitely going to be a huge part of history. -
2020-06-01
Grandpa and Me
During the pandemic just like many individuals i was unable to see my family for a long time which I was struggling with. My grandpa who I usually take to once a week was especially struggling through the pandemic because he wasn't even aloud to leave the house for 4 months. I was planning to go and see him since he was getting sicker but obviously could not. We ended up on FaceTime almost every day just talking about college and what was happening in Chicago. My grandpa was a huge part of my life and being able to help him through the pandemic made me feel so much better. During the pandemic, I was just feeling sad and more homesick than usual. Since school was online I had a lot more time on my hands which led to me and grandpa talking over FaceTime all the time. He had taught me and my roommates how to play poker which was so much fun and gave us something to do at night. Unfortunately, Grandpa had starting getting really sick and had to go to the hospital and be by himself since no one was allowed to accompany him. He had eventually gotten even sicker in the hospital and passed away. I was thankful that I got to talk to him the day before he went in the hospital because it was the last conversation I go to have with him. Eventually I was able to meet my family in Chicago so that we could bury him but because of the pandemic we could not hold a funeral to honor him which was very sad. While not being able have a funeral us as a family still celebrated his life together . I know many people out loved ones during this pandemic which is terrible, but it reminded me towards the end that even with all that was happening my grandpa found the positives in life until the end. I learned through him that no matter what life or the world throws your way you can always share the love and make each day count. -
2020-10-07
Military Edition
this story is important to me because members who are serving in the armed force, will understand and relate to the struggles that I went through during this pandemic. -
2020-09-22
Married in March
My partner and I were supposed to be married in September. We spent the better part of a year getting ourselves ready for the big day, but due to the Coronavirus, we were unable to get married. We are planning to get married in March now. It has been a little depressing, but we're pushing through. We set the date of September 22nd because it was the first day of fall and is typically a beautiful day here in sunny South Florida. During the start of the isolation, we thought that we had gotten lucky and the pandemic would be largely over, we would be able to have it – when the only businesses open were places like Target for groceries, we coordinated with our vendors over the phone and email. My partner had purchased her dress a week before our shut down here, and we waited up until about just a month ago to get the finished product. It was hard for me to even get my tux taken in. When things started opening back up, we were nervous about the date, but hoped for a fast progression towards things getting better. By the end of July, we knew things were still not on track and we had to make a difficult decision. Not only was it extremely expensive to postpone, it was disappointing. We had put so much energy into getting everything right, but the world had other plans. Ultimately, the safety of our family and friends was not worth the risk, and we decided to postpone until March 10th, which is our five year anniversary. This year has been absolutely crazy! But we both know everything has a purpose, and a reason. We are fortunate for our health (and our corgi). :) -
2020-10-07
COVID-19 Exhaustion
I chose to submit a few tweets that go along with the exhaustive perspective I’ve had on the pandemic since we first were asked to quarantine back in March. As someone who works in customer service and interacts with people all day, I was immediately on board with social distancing, mask wearing, and limiting being in public spaces. However, it became very clear that this was not everyone’s opinion of COVID-19. Seeing how large majorities of people are so against measures put in place to protect us has been quite frustrating to witness. The lack of empathy toward those who have been negatively affected by the pandemic (such as family deaths, irreversible health issues, loss of jobs, etc.) has done nothing but increased, as people on one side continue to believe all of it is a hoax and being blow out of proportion. How is it dramatic when 200,000 people, and counting, have died? How is it a hoax when it’s still running rampant through our country but other countries managed to get it under control by actually taking steps to do so? Hearing the excuses that we shouldn’t let ourselves be dominated by the virus is incredibly irritating, when we shouldn’t resign ourselves to living with something that could be of great harm to us or others in our lives. We should be trying to eradicate it as much as possible. Alas, my efforts are fruitless. On top of that, seeing the dichotomy of the pandemic with the protests for BLM and such side by side has been an interesting spectacle. BLM protestors have made sure to protest safely and because of it, they have yet to turn into super-spreader events. In addition, the hypocritical outlook on police brutality is puzzling. They say the black and brown men killed by police should have just complied or else they wouldn’t have been killed, yet these are the same people refusing to wear masks because it is their right? It was those men’s rights to just exist and you think they deserved to die because of it? The privilege of it all is absolutely baffling. Those who don’t want to wear masks believe it is their right to protest it, then turn around and scream profanities and spew hate at those protesting with Black Lives Matter. You can’t demand justice for your minor inconvenience yet hope to tear down the efforts of those fighting for a real cause. Your rights are the same rights as others. Overall, the past six months have been eye-opening to say the least. Our country has never been more divided: socially, politically, economically, or financially. The fact that we aren’t all on the same page about taking care of each other, having empathy, and wanting everyone to thrive and live is so mind-boggling when these things are basic human decency. My heart hurts reading every news story that comes out each day, knowing that we continue to push farther and farther away from one another, when really we should be striving for a better goal. I can only hope that 2021 holds better times for us, but things appear bleaker than ever. For now, I continue to point out the hypocrisy and indecency of it all so others may understand. -
2020-10-07
The Fight To Stay Healthy
This pandemic we are living in is like being in a black whole of the unknown. In some places people are acting as if it doesn’t really exist or that it doesn’t affect them. The truth is, it may not be affecting them right now, but it very well could be. The truth is, we know nothing. This period of time in our history is a different experience for everyone and people do not have any clue about what is to come. My experience of this time has been chaotic and an ongoing feeling of paranoia. My brother and I are both high risk for COVID-19. I have In 2013 at 2 years old he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia; he is a childhood cancer survivor and is now 10 years old but will continue to need to be cautious and always aware of his health. The picture I have provided with this entry is one from a few months after his diagnosis. This is the picture that remain in mine and my family’s heads; our motivation to continue to be hyperaware of our daily routines and who we encounter. I am asthmatic and have continued to have a weak immune system and suffer from respiratory illnesses. Protecting ourselves, our family, and those around us is the highest priority during this time. We are taking precautions and rules from the CDC very seriously. This has been a season of fear, loss, and uncertainty, but it has also been a season of faith, curiosity, and new beginnings. I have also had some family friends and family members lose their jobs during this time. COVID-19 has not just affected people’s health but the livelihood of the normal we once knew. Moving forward people will either embrace that or fight against it. Even while embracing it my family and I will continue to be cautious with our interactions, where we go, who we see, and be empathetic tot those who have lost their lives and their loved ones. -
2020-03-15
Weathering the Storm
This pandemic has been something out of the ordinary for everyone across the world. Unless of course you have already lived through a different pandemic like this one. This pandemic has resulted in many negative effects. Being locked inside everyday, businesses closing, people dying, and everything having to turn completely remote. Everything is just different now. People have to social distance, wear a mask etc. The negatives people can take from this time can be astronomical. It is time to look at this as a positive. At least for me, yes there have been many negatives through this pandemic but I have also used this as an opportunity to better myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. I have worked out and focused more on school in many ways. I have not been perfect but during this pandemic, I have thought about what I wanted to do and what I want to achieve in my life. I want to put my faith in God and my family first. I also wanted to put my health first in every aspect. Everything else to me would come next with my hard work ethic and my drive to be successful. I am in a good place right now during this pandemic and I know there are many people out there that are not. I want to be able to help people out and be there for the people that I care about. I feel like I have done that for the most part during this time. It is time to focus on what matters most and that is taking care of myself and the people I love and care about the most while honoring God along the way. This REL 101 class helped me adopt a new perspective to how other people see this subject and how it can play a factor in their lives. Personally, my faith is the most important thing I have and I will cherish that forever. Without my faith in my God, I am nothing and nothing I have been blessed with could be possible. -
2020-10-07
COVID-19 impact on my life
How my life has been impacted by COVID -
2020-10-07
Life Changes on a Dime
Here we all are stuck having our wings cut for just a LITTLE while. Children are so special. I am always in my room because, of age, health and so on... I have grandchildren that seem to keep multiplying all the time. One of my babies come to my door every other day always happy and full of wonder. Last week he came to my door crying I asked him what was wrong worried at first he had heard something and got scared. No it was simple to me but is was tearing his little heart up. His name is Jr. hes 2.5 years old an has a heart so big. I asked him what are you crying about. His reply was, "I cant sit on your lap and give you a hug." it was what he always did when he wanted something his dad or mom would not let him have. I said back to him you can throw me kiss the you can say it real low so only I can hear. he threw me a kiss and said Grandma would you get me pictures to color I don't have any more and daddy says we cant go to store. I asked him who do you want to color he said stitch, i told him to come back in a few minutes and i would see what could be done. So I got right to printing out pictures off the net of all his favorite cartoons he liked. When he came back I had placed the pictures at my door. He sat down and showed me that picture and said it was his best most one of all. Asked him why he said it has hearts on it. I made my day great to be able to make him happy. Even if we can not be hugging I got to watch him color a couple of the pages. As he left he said Please hurry and get well Granma you have a lot of hugs, cookies for me?and blew me kisses. -
2020-07
Finding Myself Through Walking
During this pandemic, I begin to fall into depression and anxiety which I never faced before. I didn’t want to go to the hospital to see my provider to be put on pills for depression and anxiety because I was nervous due to the virus. I slowly begin to pray asking God to help me overcome this battle. I started to do different types of self-care, but nothing would help. I decided to go walking one morning and I knew right away this would help me. Every morning, I get out of bed to go walk the minimum of 3 miles, the maximum would be 6 miles. I enjoyed watching the sun rise and seen the difference it made while being up. I also enjoyed the different weather changes from being summer to beginning to get cold. It has helped me see another day, by making great healthy choices in my food intake. I enjoy the nature and the environment I am walking in. I love hearing the birds chirp, the quietness at times, the cars go by. When I listen to music and sing it helps me release my depression. As I begin to walk, I begin to pray to God and giving him thanks for another day, another day to see his creation and continuously praying. It's important to me because my health reflects my life. This not only helped me with my better living path in staying healthy but involving my son to my walk. Taking him along with me during the walks. I enjoy his presence as well as implementing games, so he doesn’t get bored during our walk. The thing that also helped me out is a great friend who also runs every morning. She gives me encouragement to have a better healthier lifestyle. In order to have life, we need to take care of our inner self. It has helped me physically, mentally and spiritually. -
2020-10-06
What is it going to take for Wisconsinites to take COVID-19 seriously?
I find myself to be very troubled with the division of our current society. I live in Wisconsin and we have a democratic governor who, like many other governors, declared a public health emergency. In early March Governor Evers issued a mask mandate, put restrictions on the size and length of time of gatherings, shut down in-person school, and closed bars and restaurants. Although we continued to see increased cases and were able to track the spikes in cases to gatherings that defied the Safer-At-Home order, Republicans challenged and overturned the Safer-At-Home order after just sixty-two days. Calling the order an abuse of power, those who stood in opposition declared victory. We continue to be the only state where legislature (or the lack of) is what is driving our response to COVID-19. After the restrictions were lifted (in entirety), many in the state resumed life as ‘normal’. There were a good number of events cancelled. Their organizers cited liability when they were attacked for making the hard decision to shut down this year. The events that did move forward drew record attendance. My friend Randy is one of the many Americans who lost his job. He tried to make up for his lost income by promoting his band and he was able to book several gigs. After his fourth gig, he and several band members contracted the virus. Randy and his disabled daughter were both hospitalized. Jenna spent close to a week on a ventilator. Thankfully, she recovered. It could have been so much worse. People who chose to continue to wear masks, socially distance, and whether in support of the Governor or looking out for their own health and safety, continue to exercise caution were (and still are) publicly and brutally harassed. My husband has an incurable cancer. Although he is in remission, we remain vigilant with limiting our exposure as much as possible. A few months ago, we went to a hardware store and as we attempted to enter the store, two gentlemen (a term I use as loosely as possible), heckled us by calling us sheep and yelling “BAAAAA” as we tried to enter the store. Not wanting to make a scene, we turned around and left. On the way home, I called the store to report the incident. My thought was the family owned business was losing customers by no fault of their own so they should be made aware. I asked for a manager and ended up speaking with the owner. His response was to cite the fifth amendment and offer the option to take my business elsewhere. How did we become a society where it is OK to openly mock people who are just trying to keep themselves healthy? Fast forward to just a few days ago. On October 3rd, the Center for Disease Control reported that Wisconsin is now considered an epicenter of an outbreak having a reported 17,000 positive cases in seven days. It did not have to be this way. Why must the virus be so politicized? What happened to thinking of others? Most importantly, what is it going to take for Wisconsinites to take COVID-19 seriously? -
2020-03
COVID-19 story
Around the date that this image was taken was when the initial wave of COVID-19 began. I chose this image to best reflect my experience with COVID-19 because this was also around the time with the George Floyd shootings. As such, this document was handy for various reasons. For one, being an African-American male was a very unique experience at the time, since Floyd’s shooting brought about both people who supported either the BLM movement or was against it. The connection with COVID-19 was that during that point in time during the Floyd shooting, COVID-19 was not the main headline. However, as a consequence to the protests and COVID, curfews were put in place in various states nationwide. This image helped protect me from any unnecessary confrontation that could occur after curfew hours. During a time where there was already enough tension between African-Americans and law enforcement, I did not want to put myself in a situation where I could be compromised. In addition, this image will go down in history for future generations to see of the overall impact that COVID-19 had globally. This pandemic made drastic changes to the way of life in which we lived – from curfews to furloughing employees, to food and toilet paper shortages. This image reminds me of my experience with COVID-19. Around the date that this image was taken was when the initial wave of COVID-19 began. I chose this image to best reflect my experience with COVID-19 because this was also around the time with the George Floyd shootings. As such, this document was handy for various reasons. For one, being an African-American male was a very unique experience at the time, since Floyd’s shooting brought about both people who supported either the BLM movement or was against it. The connection with COVID-19 was that during that point in time during the Floyd shooting, COVID-19 was not the main headline. However, as a consequence to the protests and COVID, curfews were put in place in various states nationwide. This image helped protect me from any unnecessary confrontation that could occur after curfew hours. During a time where there was already enough tension between African-Americans and law enforcement, I did not want to put myself in a situation where I could be compromised. In addition, this image will go down in history for future generations to see of the overall impact that COVID-19 had globally. This pandemic made drastic changes to the way of life in which we lived – from curfews to furloughing employees, to food and toilet paper shortages. This image reminds me of my experience with COVID-19. #REL101 -
2020-10-05
What influenced me during the pandemic
Hello everyone, my name is Eddie Wu. I was born US but raised in Taiwan, a country that is nearby China. That means we are the first few countries that is influenced by COVID-19 due to the geography distance. At that time, my family was separated, me and my siblings living at Tempe, taking classes. My parents were at Taiwan that time facing the COVID-19, my parents are asked to stay home and put on masks when they go out. Then one more month later, the first case has happened in US. First, I think I will just stay here doing normal classes and will stay normal. Then my parents suddenly asks my siblings to go back to Taiwan, because Taiwanese government have already showing their ability to control the pandemic at Taiwan. So, it suddenly changed my day that time. My siblings are back to Taiwan, and I stayed here alone. It is scary that while the first few cases are founded in US, I am the only few person who put on masks in public places. I still remember at March, when I went to one of the store to get groceries, I have my masks on and my gloves on, some other customers told her child that I am sick so I put on my masks. During the pandemic time, it does change the ways I get groceries, socializing with friends, and taking class. The pandemic have make me getting bigger amount of groceries in once. When I am trying to doing activities with friends, mostly we are doing it on voice chat apps, if we have to meet outside, I always ask them to have their mask prepared, and also I will bring hand sanitizer to clean our hands. The last the changes the most is my classes, I am an UAS student, most of my class will be really hard to teach online because we don’t actually see the items in real life if the class is online, so most of my class are really hard for me that time, because it is online, somethings aren’t clear enough and I need to spent more hours to learn it myself. These are some major things that changes in my life during pandemic. -
2020-10-06
A Muted Rosh Hashanah
Every year, I attend the High Holy Day services at Temple Agudas Achim with my mother. The services are long, emotionally exhausting, and beautiful; this is when the shofar (a ram’s horn) is blown. This year would have been slightly different because the Rosh Hashanah began on Shabbat, but the High Holidays were also impacted by Covid-19. Instead of meeting in person with the entire congregation - hundreds of people, most of whom I don’t see throughout the year - the services were held via Zoom. Because many of my congregation avoid technology on holy days, there were less than 50 people participating in this year’s services. Rather than 3 hours long, services this year lasted about an hour. When the shofar was blown, it was heard through a computer screen, which failed to capture the awe-inducing power of the horn. As someone with ADHD, the High Holidays are usually tough for me. I struggle to focus during the long services, becoming fidgety after an hour. In the past, my mother and I have celebrated the holidays privately, attending a retreat, or simply spending the day together at home. When we celebrate this way, I can draw on my tablet - drawing has always been a source of comfort and focus for me. In the temple, multi-tasking is frowned upon, as it is seen as disrespectful and sacrilegious. Yet recognizing the holidays this way is unfulfilling for my mother - she misses the community of our temple and yearns for the sound of the shofar. Because of Covid-19, we both got a little of our preferred way to worship. Watching the live stream and participating via Zoom allowed my mother to re-connect with temple members whom she had missed. Yes, the meeting was lacking in many ways, but it was better than not attending at all. I was able to stay off-screen, listening to the service while drawing. It was during the service that I drew the image I titled “A Muted Rosh Hashanah”, which depicts a young girl attempting to blow a shofar through a protective mask. With this drawing, I hoped to convey the beauty and passion of the shofar, as well as the pain and longing that the pandemic and social distancing has caused. -
2020-10-06
Friendship During COVID
Before I went to college, I always struggled with making friends. When I made my way to Arizona State University that all changed. I met beautiful people who had priorities beyond petty drama. They were passionate about the causes I were, cared about school and turned out to be amazingly good people. I was pleasantly surprised, and I embraced my new friends. They’ve been my rocks throughout all my ups and downs for the first 2 years of college. In March 2020, I was eating lunch in the dining hall with a friend I hadn’t seen in months. We got the notification that we were going to be doing “virtual learning” for the rest of the spring semester. I don’t think either of us knew what this would mean. We walked back to my apartment, and I left him with a box of disinfecting wipes before we said goodbye. Within the next few weeks I was living at home again, still paying rent on my apartment 2 hours away. I didn’t get to say goodbye to my friends, and I was all of a sudden trapped in my house with my mom and sister. I love them, but I didn’t think I would ever be spending that much time in that house ever again. If we fast forward to July, I ended up losing one of my friends to suicide. That was one of the most difficult thing I was supposed to go through. While it was of the saddest thing I’ve ever gone through, I ended up meeting a lot of people who knew him. My circle of friends grew by a lot, and I ended up becoming close to a lot of them. The picture I added is from my online birthday party. The pandemic meant that I wouldn’t be able to see anyone safely because a lot of people live on campus. But the party was actually great. We played games over Zoom, talked and laughed. It was the first time I felt normal in a while, and it was definitely the best birthday of my life (weirdly). -
2020-10-06
My Life During COVID-19
In early March of two-thousand twenty, my husband and I had just begun a journey of going back to mass on a weekly basis. When the governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, mandated that all gatherings of more than five people had to be shut down, that included our local church, gyms, local restaurants, and more. This mandate closed local parks, schools, and many businesses for the remainder of the Spring season. Easter mass was also cancelled which personally impacted my family as it is a tradition to gather at our local church with extended family for the holiday. My husband and I were both considered essential employees at our places of employment during this time. We had to carry a letter to prove our being essential while we drove to and from work. Working in the front office of a physical therapy clinic, the patients arriving before treatment and exiting afterwards began to feel unsafe due to the fear we all felt leaving our homes. This fear also resonated with my two co-workers because one was a Type I diabetic and the other was six months pregnant. Throughout the month of April, I began working from home in order to decrease my hours so that my coworker with diabetes was able to keep his hours. My other coworker who was pregnant took a leave of absence for two full months before returning during phase two. Since the state began phase two and released restrictions, churches and gyms reopened with capacity limits to provide social distancing from one another. My sister, who works for a private preschool, was uncertain if classes would reopen in the fall. She was making daily Zoom calls with her small preschool students from March until summer break began in June. As the state slowly begins to open up, our lives have changed with the use of masks and hand sanitizer. The distancing that has been placed over society has increased concerns about leaving home. The world is holding onto hope for a sense of normalcy that will soon arise from the clutter of dirty masks and used gloves. -
2020-10-06
Anchoring the news through a pandemic
In January of 2020 I was a wide eyed Junior at Arizona State University, trying out for an anchor position on Cronkite News, which airs on Arizona PBS. I had heard that typically Juniors were not selected and neither were sports journalism majors, like myself, who the faculty did not know as well, so I wasn't expecting to get one of the 10 spots. Somehow of the 60+ people to tryout I was selected and thus began my news anchoring experience. From the first time the red light on the camera turned on I was hooked, hooked to the feeling in my stomach unlike anything I had ever felt before knowing that messing up was not an option. My co-anchor was amazing and we built a great friendship that made every show even more fun, I was having the time of my life every Monday for two hours. Then, Spring Break came and with it the cancellation of basically everything due to the Coronavirus, including anchoring. I had other things cancelled like an internship and covering the Olympics in Tokyo that are much bigger deals in the journalism world, but for some inexplicable reason this one hurt the most. A few weeks later and we were doing our newscast from home; suit on the top, pajamas on the bottom and while it was good to feel productive, that feeling in my stomach was gone. That irreplaceable adrenaline rush of confidence and nerves that only came with someone counting down and a red light turning on, was gone for the foreseeable future. Summer passed and there was nothing to do. I knew I would be returning to school again in the Fall of 2020, but would they really let me anchor twice in two semesters? It seemed unlikely. A few weeks into the semester and I was playing it off, telling friends it was not a big deal and I, again, was not expecting to get one of the spots. The audition went well and then we waited. Suddenly I got a notification from Slack. It was a list of the anchors. I've never skimmed something so fast in my life. I found my name and a sigh of relief was mixed with pure joy, we were back. The pandemic tried to take something away from me, and I know it's nothing big, and I know millions and millions of people went through something that truly hurt or killed, but it felt good in that moment to beat it in my own way. Now, we're three shows in to semester number two and that feeling in my stomach is back every Thursday, as the floor director counts down 5, 4, 3, 2... -
2020-04
Missing out on important Life Experiences, stuck at home.
When my high school, Hamilton High, postponed the return of school for a few weeks due to the rising COVID-19 cases here in the United States, I wasn't all too bummed about missing an extra few weeks of school. I didn't consider how deadly the virus would be, how many lives it would take, and how many life experiences it would steal from me; all I knew was that I got to be at home doing whatever I wanted for an extra few weeks. I thought I was free, free from my usual life obligations, free from stress, free from all the problems the average teenager goes through. Little did I know that that was the start of mine, and many others, living purgatory. As the days passed by, seeing the cases rising and the deaths rising left me contemplating about how short life really is, what was I doing with my life, was I living my life to the fullest. I realized that any day I could wake up, not knowing it would be the last day of my life. Not only that, but as the return date to school pushed further and further back until finally, they announced that the rest of the school year would be canceled. That means that I would not have a traditional graduation, nor would I be able to attend prom. With COVID cases on the rise seemingly every week, I realized that most college campuses would be either closed or highly limited, and with a pandemic ongoing there wouldn't be much of a chance for social interaction, or going to classes in person, or really just living the college experience. I feel like I was deprived closure from high school, and my first year of college wouldn’t be the fun freshman college experience that most other people have. Fortunately, my friends and family have been safe from the virus, which I am very grateful for. However, I still can't help but feel slightly sorry for myself and other teenagers who are missing out on their freshman experience. -
2020-10-05
Preparing for after the pandemic
When COVID shutdowns first occured, I had pretty good momentum going in all aspects of my life -- work, school, relationships, time management, and overall satisfaction that I was doing what I needed to do to succeed. The chaos associated with COVID kind of threw all of this into a storm, uncertaintly and doubt in many aspects. I assume that this was the case for many people, and we will never forget about the toilet paper shortage back in spring. However, as we have become acclimated to temporary health precautions, there are two ways that most people will transition from the virus difficulty to normalcy - farther along or further behind where they have started. Many take this time to do less engaging work, relax, and watch episodes of Netflix for hours on end. While this is perfectly acceptable, I chose to look at it as an opportunity to become a better person and hit the ground running when society is back to normal. This means sticking to a workout routine, learning how to cook among many other new skills, being more productive and working more efficiently virtually, and being a better academic. I believe that the pandemic was a great learning experience and it has taught me to deal with challenges in a way that I wouldn't have considered otherwise. -
2020-10-05
A barista's pandemic story of retribution.
This is a short viewpoint from a Starbucks barista in a city setting and gives an idea of some of the panic that set in initially during those few days leading up to lockdown. -
2020-10-04
Life of a College student during the COVID-19 pandemic
My story is about how the COVID-19 affected my education starting from spring semester to fall semester. Taking all my classes from online, which is a little bit challenging. (REL 101) -
2020-10-04
#REL101
A bit of my experience living in coronavirus pandemic -
2020-10-03
COVID-19: Investigating My Positive Aspect
At a time in history where there were only a few cases of COVID-19 in the world, I, a college student, was applying to be a mentor for a math-science Honors program and my university. I was once a participant of this program, and to give back to it and help high school students navigate this program and their futures would have meant the absolute world to me. I was completing the second round of the hiring process when it was announced that the remaining of the spring 2020 semester would be held online. It was from this point on that I knew this pandemic was going to change my future plans. At the time, however, I did not see it as a "big deal" because in my mind I was thinking that once this virus is controlled and everything is relaxed, things would go back to normal. Obviously, that was not the case. Shortly after, the university required everyone that was able to go home to do so. Approximately a week after that it was announced that the summer program I was planning on working for over the summer would have to be cancelled. Within the span of a month the routine that I grew accustomed to and the plans I had were completely altered, almost like a punch in the gut. That is not where the story ends, though. I am studying to be a civil engineer, and my uncle is a civil engineer who owns his own business in my hometown and is self-employed. So, I was given the opportunity to intern at his business. I immediately jumped at the opportunity. Within the two months that I interned there, I gained a great deal of knowledge and experience that I would not have otherwise acquired. I learned nearly every aspect of the job, from programming materials, on-site job inspections, to the steps required by government officials and engineers alike to even begin a job. Considering I just completed my freshman year, I went into the internship knowing practically nothing about real engineering work, as I had only taken the basic required classes. Two months later, however, I can confidently say that I learned more then than I would have learned sitting at home all day. It also gave me a great opportunity to see whether or not civil engineering is the career path that I want to go down, which I can confidently say now that it is. The opportunity to have the experience over the summer is what I would consider to be a positive outcome arising from quarantine and having the summer program at the university cancelled. -
2020-09-27
Introvert to Extrovert
As an introvert, I was not initially too burdened by the pandemic. I usually preferred to be alone anyways and being stuck at home sounded like a dream come true. However, throughout the pandemic I found that I relied more heavily on interpersonal interactions than I thought I would. I was living with roommates, but most of them went home to their parents for the initial stages of the pandemic. To cope with this, I started to practice mindfulness. I determined it would be helpful to connect, and create a tight bond, with my “inner self”. This practice was extremely helpful, and I felt a spiritual connection with myself that I have not in a long time. It also helped me manage other forms of anxiety that I have felt in the past. I now feel a deeper connection with myself, and after this experience, I feel a deeper connection with others as well. It used to feel like work to be around people, but now I relish in the ability. I think this is because, over the course of the pandemic, I have been able to connect with myself at a deeper level. Now that I feel more comfortable in my own skin, I can interact with others in a more mature and less paranoid way. Overall, this pandemic has really changed how I feel about the other people in my life. I have always enjoyed my friends and their company, but it was something I needed an occasional break from. After this experience, I have realized that I need my friends. They are not just a group of people I spend time with to have fun. They are a group of people that I have a real emotional bond with, and we need each other to help strengthen that bond. Especially during difficult times like these. -
2020-08-11
Holy Saturday
This is a story about the quarantine separating me, and most importantly others in my community, from participating not only in the sacrifice of the mass but also catechumens from receiving the sacraments of initiation during Holy Week. It's the most sacred time of the year for Catholics. It marks not only the anniversary of a deeply changing experience for me, but it's the time when I can see candidates enter the body of the church fully, and for that body to either be baptized or renew their baptismal vows. -
2020-03-17
The Blessings of Covid-19
I submitted how the Corona Pandemic has helped change my life for the better. -
2020-08-10
COVID-19 Share Your Story
COVID-19 has definitely made a huge change to my everyday routine. Before this all hit Arizona, my weekly schedule was gym in the morning, and depending on the day i would go to work in the afternoon and then do some homework before bed. On my days off from work I would go to school in the afternoon and usually do homework after. I would usually only have free time on Sunday's. This hasn't really affected my schedule negatively, but has definitely changed the origin of where I do things and has limited my abilities to do a lot of things as well. I now work out from home and had to purchase equipment and do not have access to anywhere close to the amount of equipment or weight that I normally have access to at the gyms, but have to make it work with what I have. I also have had to work from home, which is the same schedule I was on before and it definitely took a little bit of getting used to since I have roommates, but I made it work and I'm very fortunate to have a reliable job during these times. Most of my classes I take are online, so that won't have a very big impact on me other than if I ever have to go to campus, which I haven't had to yet. This has also had a huge impact on my relationship with my family. I went from seeing them once every 1-2 weeks to never seeing them because of me being a risk. My grandparents are very old and I haven't been able to see them since March. It is definitely tough for me, but i try to call them everyday to stay in touch with them as much as I can! Overall, I don't thing this whole COVID situation has impacted me as much as a lot of others and I and lucky to be in the situation I am in. -
2020-08-10
Powering your immune system
After much investigation about COVID-19 I have realized that your health and wellbeing have more importance than anything else, especially wealth. I have embarked on this "getting healthy" journey, and eating a more balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and cutting processed foods has helped me deal with stress and given me strength to continue and cope with the new normal. The media should be encouraging people to eat a healthy balanced diet and exercise, if this were the case; the mortality rate would be much lower. Healthy people don't get as sick. Let's all get on the good health boat and remember that together we can fight this. Get your health back, be metabolically healthy and COVID-19 will be yesterday's news faster. -
2020-08-10
Three questions for religions and Individuals of the World in 2020
Within my contribution to the Covid-19 Archives project, I wanted to reflect on how my beliefs have changed over the year of 2020. In best coming up with where my thinking has been, I developed a few xelect questions which could be asked, or answered by anyone in contemporary settings and are highly relevant to any life, spiritual or secular. I will reflect on insights I have internalized from both secular and religious texts. It is my underline perception that all religions strive towards a union with a divine principle, In this way they are all equal. As famously spoken by Swami Vivekananda “We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true.” So long as a heart has a desire for God; In whichever form the seeker finds. The desire of man is grand, and will not stop on this side of infinity. Therefore, so long as the desire of an individual is to expand one's own awareness to ever greater extents, one will always be prepared for a wider more complex existence. How does your faith address the issue of ‘evil’, ‘suffering’, or ‘sin’ within the world? This question is a common contention of every faith, particularly with wide evidence of natural disasters and illnesses, culminating in widespread suffering within the human and animal world. As many ideas have been put forward through faiths and philosophies, many such explanations leave much to be desired. For instance; theories such as character building or developmental and growth theories. Ideas that God is ‘testing us’, or preparing us for something in the future. Such answers are unsatisfactory in that a God deemed as all loving would not Inflict suffering. Similarly freewill is given, or a deviation from moral principle. Yet the same question arises. What suffering is experienced because of ‘freewill’. To give a lit match to a child is dangerous because they do not know the burn of the fire. In a similar fashion, ideas which argue the fault of man do not give justice to the hardships of life in any given society. It is my belief, similar to what might be seen in non-dual Vedanta, that issues of suffering facing the world are a result of ignorance. That an individual, as a single focal point of reference is never isolated, yet rather synonymous with the whole of conscious awareness. What does your belief have to say of the relationship between the individual and the world? I am a centre of Thy golden light And I its vast and vague circumference, Thou art my soul great, luminous and white And Thine my mind and will and glowing sense. Thy spirit’s infinite breath I feel in me; My life is a throb of Thy eternity. - Sri Aurobindo Personally, this is one of my favorite short poem reflections by Aurobindo. It is my understanding that I am not alien to this world, yet rather emerge into it. As a tree produces a ripe fruit, the planet has produced the human brain as the most ‘conscious fruit’. I appreciate the idea that we are to be shepherds of the earth and do right by the planet, as it is no different than us, and will be the ingredients of future generations. What do your teachings define as a moral and ethical life? I believe in the concept of doing unto others as we would have done to yourself, or the idea of doing right by one's neighbor just the same as one's enemy. It is because I know that who I define as an enemy defines myself. Rather, the Idea for me is to dissolve conceptions of enemies or friends alike. That all may have the opportunity to be admired with fresh eyes as pure and worthy of love and respect. Once the obsession of noticing the wrongs of others has been observed, we may slowly begin perceiving our own wrongdoings. Thank you for all and any who took the time to read over this! I hope you too felt compelled to consider such questions. This year has left all with tremendous insight. -
2020-08-10T01:26:13-04:00
Unprecedented Times
The day we entered quarantine was one of the most bizarre days I can remember. I was working my normal shift at the restaurant, and the dining room was completely empty. This in itself was strange for a place usually running on a few hours wait and constantly full of people. There had been talk about the restaurant closing its doors, but the thought seemed so absurd that no one really believed it. The air felt heavy, and my manager was nervously pacing around taking call after call. As I waited for guests to arrive I robotically folded my linens wondering if I was going to have a job in the coming days. The TV above the bar flickered with images of people in masks, hospitals filled with sick patients, scientists and doctors on podiums at the White House, the President trying to calm the public, and the words CORONAVIRUS UPDATE. I looked away. I felt like I couldn’t escape the impending disaster. I was supposed to work a double shift that day, March 16, but after not getting a single table, my manager sent me home and told me not to come in for dinner. I could see the stress etched on his face as he told me he would be let me know what was going on as soon as he knew. I learned the restaurant group was probably going to close all its restaurants for “two to three weeks.” Little did we know that it would be much longer. I drove home on deserted roads. I played no music and instead sat in silence trying not to panic about whether or not I would be jobless soon. I remember my dad texting me to go get gas in case the gas stations closed and pick up any groceries I may need for my apartment. What kind of times are we living in? Unprecedented times. It was surreal. When I got back to my apartment my roommates were both home. They informed me that for the next nine weeks they were instructed to work from home. I immediately packed a bag and headed for my parents house (at least I’d have more room and it would be quiet). I ended up spending most of the quarantine with my family. The restaurant I worked at closed for over three months. I had to file for unemployment and only received a fraction of what I used to bring in while employed. Times were tough. My dad, a pilot for American Airlines, took a six month leave, and I was glad to know my family was safe at home. The news never strayed from constant Covid-19 updates: potential vaccines in the works, testing sites erected all over the country, lockdowns across the globe, borders closing, toilet paper shortages, unemployment numbers skyrocketing, business failing. The good news never came, only a bombardment of the bad. The days seemed bleak. One day flowed into the next, and the weeks became an unsettling blur of constant unease and unrest. It seemed that the condition of the sick went from bad to worse. Death tolls increased by the day. The only thing left to do was pray, occupy your mind so that you wouldn’t become sick with worry, “find a hobby” they said, “learn a language” they said. I prayed with my family. We streamed mass every Sunday, and for that forty five minute service there existed a glimmer of hope, structure, and strength. I tried to be strong. I tried not to let my family see how much stress I felt at the thought of the struggling families going without paychecks and the exhaustion of workers on the front line. I tried not to think about my grandparents alone in their dark house with no one to check on them- only a daily phone call for months on end. I could hear the sadness in their voices when I called. “It shouldn’t be much longer now” I’d say, but my words sounded hollow. My family has a strong faith. I leaned on my family more than I had in a long time during the quarantine, and I witnessed my parents’ united display of trust in God. They had faith that things would get better, that humanity would prevail, and that we’d come out of this stronger. I listened to them say the rosary every night as they prayed for the sick and struggling world. It was all they could do, and they said it with as much conviction as they could muster. Praying provided them comfort, and I found myself chiming in, sitting with them as they closed their eyes and raised their concerns to God. As I returned to work in late June things had drastically changed. The world as we knew it was gone and in its place was a fractured society slowing healing from the devastation of Coronavirus. The generosity of the guests as they returned to the restaurant was like nothing I’d ever seen before. People went the extra mile to help each other as we integrated back into some level of normalcy. I saw one of the darkest times in recent history overcome with the most eye opening displays of kindness, understanding, and commitment to helping each other out. Experiencing the quarantine was a profound moment in my life. Not only did I find strength in my family and my faith, but also in my fellow man as we navigated these unprecedented times together. -
2020-06-06
COVID Cant Stop Us
COVID-19 has affected the entire world and continues to create a separation between humanity as we are confined into our homes and spaces the exist 6ft away from human contact. But this pandemic did not bring the demise to the inhumane, inequal, racist treatment that people face daily. You would think that in a time of need that people would band together and rise above such actions. But, the pandemic did not stop us from using our voices to fight for Black lives and justice for all people in America. As people pooled together to rise above racism and inequality. The collection of pictures, in this post, is so intriguing as you can still see everyone at these protests maintaining a distance of 6 feet and wearing masks to protect others. It seems so powerful that through all the hate and social injustice that everyone could mass together to show care and love back into the world. These images are so important to the history of COVID as it shows how much it impacted the people in these images, but didn't stop an even GREATER movement in history. -
2020-08-10
"Recalibration"
I wasn't quite sure what to do at first, and it was almost like I'd forgotten how much I loved writing. How I love the way I dress up words and the cathartic experience of just letting what is in your brain be seen. Having a guest for the mental dialogue makes me feel seen. -
2020-08-10
The New Normal
I uploaded pictures as to how the COVI19 has impacted my everyday life. The first picture shows me working out of my room because we are all working from home now and this is the quietest place in my home. I basically do everything from my room now, sleep, work and eat, it really doesn’t feel like my sanctuary anymore. The second picture is with me and my children around the kitchen table. I feel like I am losing my sanity because I now play many different roles such as: teacher, employee, student and mother. It is hard for me to hold everything together nowadays but there is no other option. This is the new normal and we are trying to get better acquainted to it. I included a picture of my children waving to their great grandmother from our truck. In the beginning of COVID19 my children were not able to see their great grandmother because no one knew who may have the virus. We had to quarantine ourselves for about a month before my children were able to see their great grandmother. Me and my children are more appreciative of my grandmother now. We really did not pay attention to how much she meant to us until we weren't able to see her whenever we wanted to. The COVID19 pandemic has taught me to appreciate the things that I hold close to me like my family, friends, health and my job. I am very fortunate that no one near me has been infected with the virus and we are all healthy. I am very fortunate that I am able to work from home, still have my job and a roof over my head. My family is getting used to the new normal and everyday it does get easier. I just hope I still have my hair and my sanity by the end of this pandemic. -
2020-08-10
Challenges accessing unemployment
I was unable to work starting on March 17th 2020 and it took me until the end of June to receive my first unemployment check. I did not receive back pay and then not too long afterwards to Federal Government unemployment benefits ended. It was almost a full time job trying to apply for benefits and/or checking the status. I live in California.