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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.
Homelessness was already a problem in California before the pandemic, but the economic impact of the shutdowns mandated to curb the spread of the virus has pushed many people who were just one paycheck away from disaster out into makeshift tent dwellings on the streets of Berkeley, where I have been living during the pandemic. Over the last 15 months, the number of tent dwellers living on the streets of Berkeley has steadily increased. Mercifully, the City has chosen to leave them alone, and has set up port-a-potties and hand-washing stations near the largest groups of tents. My heart goes out to these people whose economic situation, often due to circumstances beyond their control, has made their lives so difficult. I am outraged at the approach that many other jurisdictions have adopted toward their unhoused residents. My hometown of Santa Cruz, for one, regularly gives tent dwellers a 3-day notice to move (to where?), then confiscates any belongings that haven't been moved, and for the most part, dumps them in the landfill. The eviction moratoriums in some areas have helped many people who would otherwise be on the streets, but our government, at all levels, needs to do a lot more to address the underlying economic inequalities in this country, which have been both exacerbated and highlighted by the pandemic.
July 2, 2021
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Talk about how the events of recent months have affected either your work or your ability to work.
Days just blur together. If I didn't look at my calendar almost constantly I would not know what day or month it is or what I need to do today. There is a sameness to everything. My "work" is managing the home which doubled in size when Covid hit. Instead of just my husband and I, we now also have my millennial son, and 95 year old mother in law. I also have a number of volunteer activities, all now conducted via Zoom. I use to have the house to myself during weekdays; now I share with others, and am constantly searching for the best quiet place to work. I'm also constantly planning meals and grocery orders. We have gotten into a rhythm of sorts, and it is certainly easier now than in the beginning, but still it feels never-ending. Everyone does chip in, but still I miss going out to dinner and not having any dinner dishes. More importantly, I miss not having to take into account so many other's needs and wishes. I rarely feel "alone" here in the house. So, thank goodness, for long walks. Spring is truly finally here, and we will be able to use our patio once again, which will expand our house, and work area. The wifi works out there and sometimes one of us will take our laptop and sit outside for meetings or work. Two of us are vaccinated and hopefully the rest of us will be soon, also. In a few weeks, my mother in law will return to her home a few hours away. And in a few months, my son will start a graduate program elsewhere. Then the household will shrink in size, and we will establish new work patterns again.
March 26, 2021