Things are heating up in my COVID journal and I have more to say each day. And since I don’t want to bombard my readers with daily posts (I am not that kind of blogger), I think I’ll cut this down to an average of once a week. You’re welcome.
“March 4, my friend Manja in Italy emailed me that Liz had canceled her Italy trip. In the same email, Manja explained that schools had been closed in Italy for March 5-15.”
“The first week of March a main topic of discussion was the Presidential campaigns for the Democratic candidate. Hopeful candidates were dropping like flies and I was dismayed because I am not at all inspired by Biden. Does our President HAVE to be an ancient white man?”
“Saturday March 7, I ran in a race in St. Helens. I had fun, my time was great, and I was eager to see how the following Saturday the 14th would go when I participated in the giant Shamrock Run in Portland.”
I mentioned Manja and Liz in my last post. They are both WP bloggers too! Anyway, the trip to Italy was postponed, then debated, then canceled. I heard bits of the process from Liz and Manja and it must have been so stressful. I imagine there were people all over the world that can relate to being forced to cancel an amazing future trip. I knew a guy who was planning to go to Europe for the first time, with his mom, and they would be re-tracing his grandfather’s steps during WWII. For them it would be the trip of a lifetime. But 2020 was a pandemic of a lifetime.
I detested the idea of Biden for President for a long, long time. Yes, once he became the party nominee, I was always planning to vote for him due to him being the only human being running for that office. Human vs. Monster – the choice was clear. But of all those wonderful candidates we had at the first of the year, I was sorely disappointed in being stuck with the most boring one of all.
Since then I have changed my mind. After the Monster incited insurrection, sent an angry mob to enter our country’s Capitol Building and attempt to disrupt a democratic process in session, and attempt to murder the Vice President, I think a boring President is just exactly what I need. I’ve also started paying more attention to him, and President Biden legitimately cares about people. He genuinely cares and wants to help others, and puts the country above himself. I wholeheartedly get behind that. Also, he’s competent to run a country.
Conscious Engagement 
Great post. This time last year I had just returned home after a week in Cyprus and looking forward to a Summer full of travel. Well, that didn’t work out. I think a lot of liberals in UK also approve of Biden,
Thanks, Andrew. It was this week, a year ago, when the world changed for me. It feels momentous. The Presidential elections were just one more crazy thing going on over here. I know you had summer travel plans that didn’t work out, and most of all the long, long separation from your grandchildren.
Ahh, I see that the impact of our drama and Liz coming and not coming reached you too loud and clear. It was pretty incredible that she had to cancel once again. But if she were to arrive a little bit earlier, she may have been stuck here in Italy for months! We’d have fun, no doubt, but I guess certain people, and her job, would miss her.
I’m glad that you got to do certain fun things a little bit longer. It all sounds so long ago, doesn’t it? Time is weird lately. But half a year will go by in a flesh and then we’ll see if we’ll see each other. 😉 I certainly hope so.
Yes, our catastrophe came weeks later than yours. So strange. In hindsight it seems that we should have used that time to prepare ourselves, but as a nation, we did not. And rather we stood watching, in fascinated horror. I am allowing myself to hope for a visit. It’s fun to dream and plan. But I can tell my heart is still not committed, because every time I check the itinerary there are pop up messages “Check the COVID restrictions for your area of travel!” and I completely ignore it. Things will be different at the end of August. I am hoping that millions more people will have a vaccination by then and maybe we will see some adjustments by nations in responding to travelers. I can’t guess what it will be. Until then, we wait. (and dream)
This was interesting to read, Crystal. I think when Republican McCain said years ago that Biden was one of kindest men god ever created, he had my vote. Even more so since he really didn’t want to run for office and carefully selected his VP and is grooming her to take his place. She is working more closely with him than any other VP ever has. He knows he’s old and may not last all the way through but the change had to come. A mixed race female is about as different as we can get when she becomes our President. It’s all in the plan. Now I’m reading about how to stop Palm oil growers to stop destroying the rain forests. Are you doing more runs this years?
It’s a great question about runs. There has been a pretty big surge in popularity of virtual runs, where everyone who participates signs an affidavit confirming they actually ran the distance and in the time they said they did. They all run individually though. It’s just weird to me. Kudos for the awesome athletes who are doing it anyway, and supporting the organizations and causes, and keeping themselves inspired. But I didn’t do any of those runs. The second part of my answer is very exciting: the Hood to Coast race is on this year!! The whole reason I participated in the Hunger Run, mentioned in this post, was to get a “run time” that the Hood to Coast organizers can use to help place our relay team in the big race. It’s this summer, and they swear they’ve got it all figured out how to be safe. Mostly eliminating the big party on the beach afterward. But anyway, I’ll need to increase my workouts again so I can participate with my team. Yay!!
Yes, the Palm Oil problem is getting worse isn’t it? So many things happening that we are becoming more aware of.
I, too, am incredibly excited about how deliberately Biden is being about placing diverse people into positions all across his government. I am so grateful. How easy it is to make big improvements when you get a single person with a lot of power who puts the country above himself. It’s astounding. I am so grateful for Biden right now. Selecting Kamala to be his VP was a classy and calculated move, and I only hope our country can keep our stuff together long enough to see these seeds grow.
My nephew has just run a half marathon in memory of my younger brother who died of cancer 6 years ago. Runners are trusted to mark out their own route and do it individually
Yes! I was just commenting to Marlene about that. I am so impressed with the support shown by runners for virtual runs like this. And bravo to your nephew, honoring your younger brother. That is really special. It is wonderful that the running community found a way to keep races going during a pandemic.
What a year this has been, Crystal! I can still remember my initial thoughts and reactions, and would never have guest it could have lasted this long and it is still without a real end in sight.
Such a year, my friend. Congratulations to you for getting through it, awkwardly as it may have been for you – ugh all those stresses and pressures and separations of the multi-country adventure you have been on. There is a light ahead, I can see it! Not sure where it is, or whether it’s an optical illusion that it seems less than a year away, but no doubt there is a light out there ahead, and we’re all heading for it.
Optical illusion or not, like you say, there is light out there somewhere. Also, it is a perfect time to appreciate the present moment for what it is. I think we so often live either in the past, or is so focused on the future that we forget about the present. It is certainly something this pandemic has brought home to me in so many ways. X