My Daily Struggle in the COVID-19 Lockdown

Went to my Saturday job this morning after months of furlough. It was very nice to be back. I actually started to feel normal again. She Sits by the Fire and I talked about how the protesters wanted to defund the police force and how that would not work. She told me about her experiences growing up in a small Swedish sub-neighborhood in Grand Crossing and how she grew up seeing only people and potential friends, and race matters were not really an issue. I am glad that she had this experience and that she was taught decent respect for others. Unfortunately, not everyone is taught to be so tolerant. Some parents indirectly tell their children discriminatory things just by ranting in anger or joking with a friend. Some deliberate bigots will make it a point to teach their bigotry to their children. On the other hand, most African-American parents have "the talk" with their children when they get to be a certain age. It happens when a child is treated differently from other ch...

I am so glad it is Friday and that the weekend is coming. Just two more weeks until my much-needed vacation. For those who may ask, I will still do my posts when I am in the monastery. They might be a little late if there is little to no internet. When the monks are working, I plan to use that time writing my book. This was a ridiculous day. Since my program director wanted me to get groceries at Costco for a while until I can take clients grocery shopping again, I spent practically two hours in that place because their setup was out of order, and so was the shopping list. On top of that, the store was surprisingly busy for a Friday morning, and I hate crowds like that; they make me nervous! Social distancing helped nothing either. When, oh, when, will these restrictions end?! It was in the 90's today, and I was so hot wearing that stupid mask. My agency had better give us some concrete answers soon; this is driving me bloody insane! Before I go further, a big thank you to Past...

Today was slightly better. I had to deal with a client who is chronically sick who is starting to reject treatment necessary to live. This same client is going mad from cabin fever since he cannot safely go out until the pandemic ends. I hope we can get him back on track; I don't need another client dying on me. I am just tired. I am so glad that my vacation is coming up. I am excited about getting on the train and going to the monastery for a few days. I have been longing to go to a place that is far away from everyone and everything. My peace of mind continues to slip out of my grasp, and I want it back. I want to feel sane again. At least I had a chance to get a portion of normal back tonight. My Working Stiffs Bible Study reconvened. It was great to have the Bible study with my group again. Even The Wife (sorry, Kristaleh; this is just my writing style) and our Vicar came. I will be returning to my Saturday job this week, and I will be able to fika again with She Sits by the ...

It seems that everyone needs a scapegoat. Whenever there is a tragedy in this world, we quickly point fingers at the most vulnerable parties. During the Bubonic Plague, Europeans attacked Jews because they felt that they wanted to kill Christians by poisoning wells. These days in America, people are staying away from Chinatowns across the country and even Chinese restaurants simply because the COVID-19 outbreak started in China. There are some who even believe that this virus was artificially created in China as a weapon of mass destruction.  Now it seems that in China, in the Guangdong province, where this all began, Chinese politicians and civilians are pointing the finger at foreigners from Africa or who are just Black. When 11 African in Guangzhou tested positive for COVID-19, city officials put all of the city's Black residents under mandatory quarantine, forcing them to stay in their homes. Landlords have responded by evicting Black tenants, and business owners hav...

I keep reading news about the high death rate with African-Americans contracting COVID-19. I can just hear the conspiracy theorists saying that the Man is bringing the virus into our communities to kill us off. This sounds similar to the belief that the K with the circle around placed on foods and beverages are owned by the Klan. Then there is the belief that Church's Chicken is owned by a White supremacist, and they place chemicals in the chicken to sterilize African-American men. Why else can you only find them in Black neighborhoods? Please! Seriously, there are many theories out there about why COVID-19 is more lethal in our communities. First, a high proportion of African-Americans are essential workers, which puts them at greater risk for infection. Second, those who work such jobs cannot afford to take sick day, no matter how sick they are. Third, the hospitals in our neighborhoods are a big disgrace. Fourth, so many African Americans just don't care about protection ...

Another busy day today. Since Instacart failed me, I needed order pickup via Jewel. As soon as I pulled into the designated sub-lot, a worker came and took my information, and he brought the groceries for my clients immediately. Very sweet! On the other hand, I had a taste for Chinese food today, but the place where we usually order was closed. Surprisingly, most Chinese restaurants are closed nearby, and I have read how Chinatown is suffering because they have lost 70%-80% of their patronage. People, you are not going to get sick from eating Chinese food! The restaurant where I order, New China in Summit, IL, is one of the only Chinese restaurants, except for Chi-Tung in Evergreen Park, where you can get Chinese food as good as you can find it in the city or Chinatown. The only remote danger in a typical Chinese dish is hypertension, and that is only in dished loaded in sodium. There's nothing stereotypical in Chinese food prepared in America. If you ask for chicken, you get chi...