These past few months have been a whirlwind.
The year seemed to start out (somewhat) normal but then things went awry.
Our presidency is a mess. I hope my kids generation can look back on this and are aware that their votes do matter.
The economy is in shambles over a worldwide concern of a flu-like virus which closed down businesses everywhere, the result of which we are still dealing with today and probably for years to come.
Schools were shut down and kids forced to learn from home with parents required to act as a teacher while still attempting to work full time.
While the virus is serious to a degree I can only imagine how things would be if this were an extremely deadly disease like ebola or a major natural disaster of some kind. If the world is in turmoil over this then we’re in trouble if something more significant were to ever happen.
Nevertheless we continue on …
E-Learning was a challenge but we made it through.
Sports were cancelled including her last Major’s season in softball (fortunately they are going to begin a modified season in a month or so). Baseball, Floor Hockey, Dance, Volleyball, Scouts, Soccer … everything was cancelled.
Summer camps were canceled. Their week at Loras, her trip with wyldlife.
We spent 4 weeks straight at the lake. Plus numerous weekends. All those times where we would have been at home playing sports we were instead able to be at the lake. So there is a plus side.
I hope the impact to them is minimal in the long run. I’m not so worried about these two but way more concerned about those kids who were already dealing with challenges in life. Those kids with some sort of pre-existing issue. The kids whose guardian(s) weren’t able to manage e-learning, who cannot handle dealing with them 24/7. The kids who are given unlimited access to video games and the internet … I’m not too optimistic that this period of chaos won’t result in some major social issues in the future.
On top of all that we have protests going on in the world over racial inequality. I am not blind. It’s there. But all races have endured over the centuries. Slavery in the early years of America is inexcusable & horrific & appalling. The massacre of Native Americans is inexcusable & horrific & appalling. The treatment of all sorts of immigrants over the years … Across the world all races & religions, yes even white races, have been tortured, killed, and treated in ways that are completely unacceptable. I’m afraid the current uprising is simply just noise that will eventually fade away without much change. Personally, I see good people and I see bad people. I don’t see the color of your skin. There are a whole lot of white people who are bad (and good) just as there are for any other race or ethnicity. I don’t believe treatment based on skin color will ever develop into long term change, people need to change, people need to make their community and those around them better and then continue to build off that in order to make real difference in the world. Besides, there are bigger threats to us than how we are treated … pollution, homelessness, disease, violence, corruption … it’s sort of sickening to think about. Like those ever growing garbage dumps that’re out of site out of mind? Or that island of plastic garbage floating in the ocean? Or the pollution spewing out of thousands of factories? Or the number of trees being cut down to make way for farmland or other industry? Well guess what, it’s that shit that’s going to matter in the years to come. Not how you feel you’re being treated but whether you are able to survive in a world that pollutes and ruins our ONLY world.
I digress …
