This past Sunday, I biked to a nearby town to my college ... and visited a small vinyl store in a man’s garage. The bike ride was long and tiring, but I did not know what to expect when I reached this man’s house on a suburban street. Once I arrived, I was instantly surprised by this man’s collection of vinyl, turntables, and jukeboxes that reminded me of the music I grew up listening to. It was a welcome sight to see a place not seriously affected by the Coronavirus. I asked him how he manages to have a small business like this during COVID; he said sales of turntables rose as people stayed inside more and saw an influx of people asking him to fix their machines. He seemed in excellent spirit, singing along to the music and showing off individual records. I thought about this experience and the joy it brought him to discuss music and show me his turntables and it reminded me of the power of these compositions. The music itself has become increasingly important to sustain my mental health and let me for a second forget what we are going through and be submerged by the music. And as I reflected on my music dependence, I realized how important it has become in a Pandemic. We listen to music to remember the past and the times that things were normal; we listen to music to daydream, remind us of people, and marvel at the artist’s talent. Once an artist releases a song, it becomes a constant, does not waver or die, and is cemented in history. We should recognize this with all the uncertainty in the time of COVID; we are provided with a haven that can take us out of the current crisis.
October 20, 2020
Hello. It is February 16, 2021. We are approaching the March 11 anniversary of the day Coronavirus shut the world down. I have kept a handwritten journal for more than 30 years, 2-3 times a week. My electronic journal will be similar, but point to the direct effects the Coronavirus had on me and my family. Some background. I am a dual citizen, US-Israeli. I grew up in New Jersey but moved to Israel permanently in 1998. I live part of the year in Manhattan and part of the year in Jerusalem, Israel, where my wife and daughter live. So while my profile says that I live in the US alone, that is only partly true. I am a highly educated, multi-lingual ex-pat whose view of the United States is both one of a native son and a foreigner who speaks American English. My entries will be about the impact of Covid on me, my business, how the virus shut down my life. The effects of prolonged loneliness and isolation, both physical and mental. I will try to keep my entries brief and readable.
February 17, 2021