Featured Refresh
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
Every Tuesday I volunteer at our local ski hill ... I finally realized that the day on the mountain is a blessing during these times. I get to ski with guests at the resort and spend time talking to them. I had a fantastic day today and as usual the guests I hosted were a pleasure to be with. Everyone is there to have a good time on the slopes. What is most amazing is that no one talked about Covid-19, restrictions or anything else related to the pandemic. Tuesday are a day to escape the pandemic. I am outdoors with a neck tube covering my face, so safety is not an issue when you throw in the fact that I am outdoors. People are friendly and appreciative of what I do. My focus is on ensuring that everyone is safe on the hill and having a good time. The pandemic slides into the background for about 7 hours. No thoughts, no discussions, and no worries about Omicron. I think Tuesday is usually the best day of the week. I come refreshed and tired at the same time. My mind gets a day off. It is good for the soul.
January 29, 2022
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Imagine you’re talking to a couple of high school students in 2050. They ask, “How did the pandemic change the world as you knew it?” How do you think you would answer?
In some ways, it confirmed my most pessimistic suspicions. People denying the virus, refusing to wear masks, holding parties and rallies in tightly-packed indoor spaces. The kind of madness you expect to see in a twilight-zone type sci-fi film, but try to tell yourself isn't what would really happen. Our local YMCA permanently closed, where we were taking my son to learn to swim. Lots of local businesses had to close. I don't know. I don't feel that I have a good answer for this question right now, because I have a "before" and a "during," but no "after." So much of that "before-time" feels almost frozen in amber to me right now, even though I know the landscape will have changed when it's finally safe to resume life again. Right now I just stay in one place most of the time and don't experience very much of what's happening in the world.
November 18, 2020