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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
I took this photo of my wife working from home about a month ago and it’s one of my favorites. It really captures this year for me. Although it’s been a year of disruption and isolation from many of our friends and family, it’s also been a year of getting so much more time together and of comfort, warmth, and love. That’s what this picture represents to me. The end of this week will mark when my vaccine should be fully effective and I’ve really started to think about what life is going to be like coming out of this. It’s been weird because I have spent so long trying to prepare to be in this altered state for a very, very long time, that I didn’t really allow myself to think about going “back to normal.” And now normal feels like the altered state. Now going back to the way things were seems almost disruptive because we’ve adapted to how life is now. Already work is going back to regular full schedules and I’m not really looking forward to that because I’ve enjoyed the time off even at a reduced paycheck. I am looking forward to seeing friends and my family again but I still don’t even know when that will be. I think we will have to start small and go from there. I do hope we can keep some of the habits and lessons and good things from this year - an appreciation of time with each other and slowing down every once in awhile.
March 14, 2021
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
The 17 year cicadas are overrunning my area. Their empty nymph casings are all over the place. The grown cicadas are clogging the airspace and trees. They are so noisy its hard to believe. I read one cicada is as noisy as a lawn mower. Having thousands of them buzzing at once is like listening to dozens of leaf blowers at the same time. I found this just hatched adult cicada in my home this morning. I know it just left its casing because the wings are still partly folded up, not fully formed and straight. I managed to catch it safely, without damaging it, and put it on the outside edge of my balcony in the sunlight. I checked and its gone so hopefully its flying around buzzing and trying to find a mate. For me this cicada is a metaphor for how I and others in my community feel about life right now. The strict mask and social distancing requirements are gradually being relaxed. So I see people out walking in the spring sunlight. For me its strange to see their whole face, instead of mostly covered by a mask. They’re like the cicada, being reborn to life as it was before the pandemic. Free to walk around while still practicing social distancing. I see everyone carrying a mask with them out of habit, and just in case. It’s wonderful to see a group of bare faced walkers, conversing and laughing as they walk together.
June 3, 2021