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Covid19 Journal Entry 16


April 6, 2020

Today’s image – I was thinking about a news story from a couple weeks back. Las Vegas municipal services decided to manage their homeless population’s infection risk by moving these unfortunates to a parking lot that was taped off into spaces six feet apart.  Out in the open elements these displaced people were parked, while the hotels in the casinos stood empty.  Today, I listened to local news while sewing masks after school.  They interviewed the director of a local homeless relief organization that provided shelter to hundreds in our area.  The director mentioned that more often than not, these people live in such crisis already that they miss the big news stories or just decide to tune them out because they don’t want to stack more crisis on top of their own unsolvables.  She said they were managing the mandates of the outbreak dangers with federal funds that were matched by community funds to put up their homeless clients into hotels in the area for the duration of the most jeopardy.  I made a mental note to donate again to our community fund.  Practicing generosity is usually the best solution.

Today’s observation – I experienced a sad coincidence today. While typing up my entry from yesterday, even in the midst of my thoughts about the tragedy of putting our dead to rest during this epidemic, I got news that a friend and fellow Rotarian had died last night in his sleep – heart attack.  How strange to fear a logical death in context and dread from clear and present dangers?  When the actual one defies our sensible expectations and rides in at its own bequest.  Rest in peace, my friend.

Today’s idea – A Pablo Neruda poem bubbled to the surface just now.

Keeping Quiet
Now we will count to twelve
And we will all keep still
For once on the face of the Earth,
Let’s not speak in any language;
Let’s stop for a second,
And not move our arms so much
It would be an exotic moment,
Without rush, without engines;
We would all be together
In a sudden strangeness.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve!

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