Here I am, 1:55 pm, listening to Rita Wilson’s Quarantunes
playlist while trying to keep up with my digital learning days assignment for
my students. In fact, I’ve already done
all I need to do for them, as much as I can do for them, without me having to
knock on each of my students’ doors, and actually holding their hands to
complete their DLD assignments. I wish I
could do that, but I can’t.
It’s tough to be a teacher and tougher yet to be a student in
these coronavirus pandemic days…what do we expect them to do in these
days? These are our special needs
students with specific learning disabilities or Autism spectrum disorders….what
can we really expect for them to accomplish without proper individualized
instruction, specialized and tailored for each of their unique needs? I hate to say this, but this pandemic
situation is screwing them over….
Not anybody’s fault I know, I’m the first to admit that, but it
is hard enough to teach these kids within the four walls of a public school
classroom… what more, given the liberties & distractions of trying to learn
from home, where they are most probably sharing one computer for each home,
parents working from home, other siblings needing the computer too… video games
extravaganza, and social media all day! Not
even talking about those students who have no access to computers & the
internet. They’re totally screwed.
I am blessed that I have my own laptop and so does my son Diego,
while doing his college online assignments.
They are doing this all throughout the semester, no more face to face
classes for their Spring semester 2020.
2020, what a year you’ve been so far….for everyone, but
especially for us…our family. I already
told you all the series of unfortunate events that’s been happening in our
family’s lives….first the hit & run on my car the first day students were
back at school – January 6th, followed two weeks later by an
electrical house fire, Saturday night, January 18th….(we’re still
holed up in this apartment till july or???)
then, two weeks later, my fall…I fell off our stairs while my husband
& I were checking the situation in our house…broke the radial bone in my right arm...
Approximately two weeks later, our dearest pet Bruno had to be
put to sleep…humane euthanasia, because he developed a tumor, a malignant
cancer in his spleen….(sigh)…that was March 12th, today is March 24….i’m still standing,
gratefully…I suppose….I’m still breathing and placing my foot one in front of
the other….and now this…
This unprecedented, totally caught-us-all-off-guard, pandemic…of
Global proportions…this coronavirus fear spreading across the united states,
from Asia, to Europe and middle east, the whole world….seems to be in a
standstill.
“We are all in this together”…is the slogan for the world, and
yet we are feeling alone, hunkered down in our homes…practicing social
distancing and doing our civic duty by limiting our movements outside the house…
some of us are more fortunate than others…with loved ones, family
close beside them…some not so fortunate…with deaths in their families, close
friends, serving in the healthcare professions…those who are in the frontlines,
doctors, nurses, first responders, grocery workers, mailmen, ups, fedex &
amazon workers…my husband, who is still expected to keep reporting to work,
even without a lot of business going on…
Then now we have those in our communities who will be unemployed
indefinitely…the hospitality industry workers, restaurant workers, airline
& other service industry workers….stock market crashing…our own u.s.
president vacillating between shut down the cities ordinances, and let’s get
back to work orders…
Who knows what to do next?
Is anybody really sure about the future at all?
I know, we never know what the future holds for us…for anyone…but
this total uncertainty is un-nerving, to say the least.
I am really an extrovert, and I love being around people, and
being around my students, difficult as it may be at times, keeps me grounded
and sane… helping them in any way I can…this,
this helpless feeling of not being able to reach out & teach them
what they need to learn, is making me go crazy!
I’m still up before the crack of dawn every day…I meditate… just
sitting in front of my calming Buddha statue…emptying my thoughts of any
unnecessary voices in my head…I start my morning with a good cup of coffee,
then I start to turn on my laptop, see what’s important, what the day has ahead
of me… .& then I start to work….uploading my digital day assignments…
It’s tough not being able to go out to cafes, stores,
restaurants, it’s tough not to be able to hang out with friends, invite them
over, for fear that anyone may be carriers of this virus… cause the incubation
period can be from 4-15 days…you can never tell who’s infected from who’s not.
So, here I am, “I wanna be sedated…” playing in the background…so
appropriate for my frame of mind this time.
Thank you, Rita Wilson for your great, uplifting playlist! I love it!!! I hope you and your husband tom
hanks, are doing well and recovering. I am
praying for you, praying for all the healthcare workers, praying for the
economy to recover, praying for friends, family & strangers going through
the same struggles everyday…I guess, it is true we are all in this together, in
a strange & distant way, we are all connected…this virus can be a little
blessing in disguise…we are more connected in many ways…because we are closer
in thoughts & prayers…for the whole world…the world is growing quiter, our
world is getting smaller.
Let’s stay connected, let’s stay strong, let’s listen to each
other more…keep our eyes, minds, and hearts open for anything that could happen…cause
what else could possibly happen?? A
meteor crashing into our little planet, Earth???…
let’s stay together.
💖
Love from my little corner of the world, Georgia, u.s.a. – Jessica
v. (ms. V.)
