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Let's talk about the environmental impact of COVID-19. The masks. The paper masks. They need to go. I am so disgusted by the amount of paper masks being strewn about on the sidewalks, on local hiking trails, and in waterways. The flimsy film is not biodegradable and the straps are choking our sea creatures. Something needs to change or we're never going to recover from this pandemic. I saw this mask on the floor when I was taking a walk back from the dining hall. I was so upset. I couldn't even pick it up because I ran out of hand sanitizer. I'm going to invest in a trash picker at this point. I'm sick of it. I don't care if people call me gross or make fun of me for picking up litter. This is our planet, people; and we need to take better care of it. The rubber gloves. First of all, as of right now, wearing gloves has been deemed ineffective for fitting off COVID-19. We need to ditch the rubber and just start washing our hands! On top of that, we need to stop discarding of rubber gloves. Here's a suggestion: if you're so concerned about wearing gloves, why not invest in reusable cloth ones? Although they are ineffective as of today, at least cloth ones won't pile up in a landfill (the same thing goes for masks). I am outraged at the human race right now. Not only are we selfish, but we are sloppy, too. We must do better. I may go around campus this weekend and pick up garbage. I am so shaken by this behavior. I'm sure our planet is shaken, too.
August 22, 2020
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
My husband called to ask me to bring his extra set of truck keys to where he was working. He'd locked his set in the truck. I was busily rewriting poems for my Zoom reading that is coming up, and I was very annoyed that he'd not paid better attention. Though I notice lately he is very forgetful or doesn't pay attention to many things. He is single focused, always has been. This is different. I realized on the drive to where he was working that even though he is working on a project for the homeless that is very important to him, he is stressed about the circumstances of the world we live in. His mother is in a home for people with Alzheimer's. We've seen her twice in the last year, from outside through a window. I guess it's comforting to realize she won't remember anyway, but also very hurtful. We have a new grandson that we have only seen 4 times since he was born in November of 2020. We aren't alone in these longings and missings but the full weight of it hit me as I drove to him with his. truck keys in pocket. The drive there was filled with a blue sky and white clouds in the distance that reminded me of the beauty in this world, in spite of all the anguish and despair. I stopped to photograph the magnificence of the world I was driving through. Someone, somewhere was standing or driving with awe at the spectacle I witnessed. Maybe they were even taking photos! By the time I arrived to where my husband was working, all I could be was grateful that he had locked his keys in that truck. I thanked him for giving me the opportunity to be salved by the beautiful things in the world and to throw away my annoyance. We stood there, hand in hand, and looked at the sky that was all around us as we whirled through it on this small blue dot, grateful together. Every day I walk and every day I am reminded. But some days are a bigger reminder than others. We receive our second shot for COVID yesterday and are busily planning a dinner here in our home with our daughters and their husbands, and of course our new grandson. We will eat outside and wear masks when we aren't eating, though four of us have received the vaccine. I see a change coming. I wait with hope and patience. Some days are easier.
March 15, 2021