My Daily Struggle in the COVID-19 Lockdown

Imagine a town torn apart by hatred                                                         Intolerance                                                                  Unequal protection under the law                                                                                        In a state known for its bigotry and subjugation                                     ...

Another day, another protest to reopen the state. While the Governor plans to move Illinois to Phase 3, the Recovery Phase, many lawmakers in various towns throughout the state are becoming restless because of the economic disaster the lockdown is causing them. One mayor downstate even threatened to defy the order. I am at the middle of the argument as both sides have valid points. As long as both sides are being reasonable. The definition of reasonable is simple: the opposite of Gavin Newsom, This shameful excuse for a governor has ordered the state's lockdown to be extended to August. Even our local premier has enough sense to take things a few weeks at a time. Furthermore, he has authorized COVID-19 relief funding to be extended to those in the country illegally. Let's remove the morality and ethics of illegal immigration for a moment. Throughout the country, there are people still waiting for their stimulus checks. For some, those checks barely help their families because...

Another rough day. I found out when Aunt Hattie's wake and funeral will be. I am glad that the number of people allowed inside for the service is 25, and they will Zoom the service for everyone else. Another family funeral. It seems that the only time I get to see my whole family together is at funerals. Now my workplace is starting to step up precautions even more. Not only must I check my temperature before going to work, but whenever I am at the group home, I must make sure to have my clients check their temperature and then record it. I understand why this must be done, but it is still a headache. I am so glad that I will take time off from work in late June and early July. I am going to spend the first few days at a Lutheran monastery in Michigan (yes, Lutheran monasteries exist). I have lost so much peace of mind the past few years, and it is going to take getting away from everyone and everything to get it back. I remember a time a long time ago when, no matter how dif...

Great news! Steven Landek, the Mayor of Bridgeview, my town, endorsed my blog! I wrote to him to see if Bridgeview had any plans for making masks mandatory, and he replied to say that Bridgeview would only follow what the Governor instructs.  Then, he wrote the following: "Also, I very much enjoy reading your daily post !!!  Don’t worry about the critics.  Nothing will ever be achieved by listening to the critic.  As Teddy Roosevelt noted in his famous speech, The Men In The Area, '…it is not the critic who counts…'" This post really made my week, and it is only Monday!!! And don't worry either, Mr. Mayor! I am too hardheaded to let critics stop me. If I did, I would never try to accomplish anything. I would not have gone to college or grad school, and I would not be a social worker. I would not be a writer either. I have noticed that the usual critics fit into two categories. The first one category belongs to those who keep everything and everyone int...

Saw my best friend and her family today. I kept a wide berth and could not even hug them even though they have survived much trauma this past month. I am glad I was able to help them feel better. It is such a relief that they are back in town. I can see a lot more of them now.  In other news, it seems that too many people in Illinois are either deaf or illiterate. Everywhere, we are told to stay at home or at least practice social distancing. Last night, a group of thoughtless millennials decided to have a party . So many people came to the house to party that everyone literally rubbed elbows with everyone else. A few people wore masks, but what the heck is the point?!  I am sure  most of them went home after to their young children and older parents/grandparents afterwards . If anyone at the party was infected, it is likely they have gotten infected too, and in two weeks, their grandparents and babies will be in the hospital sick or worse.  Don't the peo...

Made it to 30 days. One month. One ridiculously long month. The lockdown is set to expire on May 1st, but the governor is hinting that it will be extended. I hope not. I hope for something miraulous to end this because everyone is suffering in one way or the other. There are people now protesting all over the country for the restrictions to be lifted. Before you start criticizing them as crybabies, look deeper. These people are losing their jobs and their businesses. Plus, they are also protesting how law enforcement and municipal/ state leaders are abusing the lockdown. Remember how people at drive-by church services were sited? Remember the doctor providing testing to the homeless had been arrested? Whenever a state of emergency is declared in any country, tyrants always use the occasion to trample on the basic and civil rights of the people. Alas, each national crisis puts our Constitution to the test. If we choose to stay asleep during such times and obey each demand and encroach...

More bad news today. Illinois faced its deadliest day. This day, 125 people died from this plague, bringing the death toll to 1,072 and the total infections over 25,000. Both Lightfoot and Pritzker say that the curve is flattening and that they are still trying to decide if they will go easy on the lockdown or not, whilst Indiana and Wisconsin are prolonging it well into May. Because non-essential businesses have been forbidden to open, millions of Americans are seeking unemployment benefits because they have been furloughed or simply laid off. This is madness. Thank God I am an essential worker. What are everyone laid off going to do? Who is hiring now? How many of these stimulus checks can the government disperse? Speaking of checks, I figured out why I didn't get mine yet. Because the government likes to overtax married couples without children, I only received state refunds for the last two years. I ended up having to pay more money to my least favorite relative: Uncle Sam....

CHRIST HAS RISEN!!! Today was a pretty good day. It was, after all, the beginning of the Resurrection Season. I went to a social-distancing prepared church and could actually take Eucharist. It felt so good to be in church again! I will probably go there until the lockdown is over, and if that means I need to drive 1 mile to get to Schaumburg, so be it! According to the major, today's death toll is the lowest it has been in 6 days, so that is good news. On the other hand, I read horrible stories about how a Michigan woman lost her whole family to this virus, and a Louisiana man lost 10 relatives and friends. I am not ashamed to admit that these stories made me cry. There has been so much death the past week. A friend of mine recently lost his grandmother from COVID-19. Thankfully, my mother, wife, and grandmothers are all safe and relatively healthy, and so are my golden-year friends. I have suffered so much loss, yet I have barely become numb to it. Each loss is still a dagger...

Today was half decent, uneventful. After work, I came home and prepared a Seder meal. I watched a Maundy Thursday livestream of a congregation in Schaumburg. There were only a few people there, so there were no quarantine violations. I am tempted to go there tomorrow and Sunday if I can. Definitely Sunday. I don't want to celebrate the resurrection of my Lord at a computer screen. If they are spaced out and don't touch, it is safe. Speaking of which, at least we are seemingly bending the curve, as they say. the number of those who have died has dropped today. I know this will all end soon. It ended already where it began, in China, and it will end here too. Keep the faith, friends. Keep the faith. --Signing off.

Today was a good day. I had gotten up around 7:30 and watched the Palm Sunday service livestream. I then went out and delivered palms to people from church, as well as my mother and grandmother. Also, I was able to get some work done on my new book; I had been neglecting it for too long.  This will make an interested Holy Week. Indeed, though I keep saying this, this is the first time since I remember missing church on the major festival days. At least there is livestream. I hope we can agree to some sort of compromise on Resurrection Sunday; I know that this day will be very hard for many. Still, I understand and submit to the lockdown, and I would have for what happened to  Rev. Rodney Howard-Browne of Tampa, Florida to happen to our Vicar and Maintenance Pastor. I am confident we can think of something to observe the holiest day of the year safely, like a drive in service. After all, would we not be in the protection of our vehicles? Communion may be another story, but I ...

Another Sunday without church. At least there was a livestream through our Vicar and a Pastor in Schaumburg. I loved the sermon. It gave me comfort. The increase in cases around the country is demoralizing. Dr. Fauci is projecting that the death toll, once this is over, might reach 300,000. I felt out of it all day. I just feel sad. Is this pandemic, though human-made, a punishment from God for all of our sins to Him, His creation, and ourselves? If so, when will the world, America especially, repent so that this plague will end? Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, but will we get palms? Then the Sunday after is Resurrection Sunday (aka Easter), my favorite holiday, but will we celebrate the Lord's resurrection as a congregation or at a blasted computer screen?  Signing off.

Today was almost decent. Was finally able to spend more time outdoors since I needed to buy groceries for my clients. Do you know how difficult it is to buy groceries for 8 people? It took me about 2 hours, not to mention how long it took to unload them. At least a client came and helped me put them away--using social distancing, of course! It was so annoying though, having to wear those gloves and face mask all that time. Plus, there were limits to half the items, and they were out of some of the affordable things. For instance, the maple-flavored syrup supply was completely depleted. At least my clients will have a chance, for the first time in their lives, to taste 100% maple syrup! I just had a sad thought, though. Another Sunday in Lent, and I won't be going to church. I don't know how I am going to cope if this thing continues through Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday. Enough of this lockdown! Would it help if we arrested all the irresponsible people who won't use d...

I was so glad to get out of the house after work today; staying cooped up in the house since Monday afternoon was more than enough for me; I don't know how people can do it. I had to get some medicine and a few things, so I put on my mask and thick gloves and went out. I had a growing craving for a Coke, so I bought a Mexican import while I was at the store. Sure, I was one of the few people wearing masks, but so what? So, Chicago's mayor laid down the law today because some people are too stupid and/or inconsiderate to obey the lockdown. People are going golfing, and they are socializing on the lakefront or in the park. After all that is going on, people still don't get it. Because of this, she closed all parks and lakefronts, and she told people that if anyone violated the restriction, she would fine them or even thrown them in jail. Right on, sister! It is disgusting that it had to come to this. Personally, I think it should be legal to take such monstrous morons and s...