A friend posed the question recently, “How has the stay at home order affected you?” My appreciation for nature has been heightened. Spring arrived along with the Corona virus and that somehow felt fortunate. The sight of green grass and flowers, trees and bulbs bursting into bloom softened the blow of the lock down order. Living in the oldest park in the city of Greenville turns out to have its advantages. I have a view of two small ponds and a stream from my open deck. The ability to sit outside and feel the wind, hear the water and the birds has been a huge boost to my mood and mental health. A soothing balm to the endless wave of bad news and even worse those nightly two hour news conferences which have turned into mini rallies with reporters forced into playing supporting roles to the cult of Trump.

Staying inside has also made me realize once again that my husband is probably the only person I could stand being alone with for this extended period of time. We’ve certainly had our moments, when I get bitchy or tearful over minor things but no major blow outs. I worried when I got married again if I could tolerate another person inside my world and happily the answer is yes and after this experience I know that with absolute certainty. 

Social isolation has also made me think hard about the people who make up the all important service and health industry. Those folks who are selling and delivering our food, gas and health care. The people who can’t stay home, they have to go to work to live and risk their lives to do it. The inequality in our country has never been more obvious and painful. People who are sick but can’t afford treatment or can’t find a test in their town. People shouldn’t have to die because they showed up for work, like that city bus driver in Detroit who shot a video complaining about people coughing on his bus. Coronavirus killed him. We need a living wage, universal health  and child care and we need it right the hell now. The good news is that I think America finally values those hourly workers and hopefully may care enough to support efforts to secure a living wage for all. 

Finally this global pandemic has pointed out in the starkest way possible how important our federal government is in preparing for a disaster like this. Those reviled  bureaucrats who run our government agencies are the experts that forecast, prepare and combat threats posed by disease. Republicans under the Trump administration systematically dismantled and defunded the very mechanisms put in place to protect us. The lack of leadership and expertise under this administration is criminal. 

This morning Joe and Jill Biden were on Morning Joe and I cried hearing them talk so sincerely about their grandchildren, the mental health of Americans confined in their homes and the federal government’s role in conducting national Covid virus testing. Just to hear a normal married couple express concern and empathy for our country and their own family made me cry with longing.  We need an intelligent grown up leader who has genuine feelings for others. I don’t want a president to have a beer with, I want a president to lead us out of darkness into the light. May we be so blessed come November.