100+ Days in Quarantine

It should come as no surprise that I’m writing from home. Socially distanced and squirreled away. Quarantine has given us all this gift of time. Down time. Time worth treasuring, that is, if you can muster your fear into a mindful sense of gratitude…

I’ve found inspiration in the ways I’ve seen Chicago come together and I’ve been frustrated with how the city has handled itself, too. Occasionally, I’ve encountered days where the chaos of the world has crippled me with an avalanche of anxieties. Social distancing has made my heart crave human connection in an entirely new way, despite being told to pick a side, pick a party, pick a stance (on masks). It’d be a lie if I pretend to have any of this figured out. But, in an effort to feel present and connected, I’ve been taking a lot of photos. And thankfully I keep hearing we’re all in this together ... despite the constant notion of division echoed by bold headlines in the papers and cyclical Breaking News on TV.

It’s been well over 100 days since we began self-isolating and keeping 6ft from others. Over 100 days since the CDC asked us to wear masks to flatten the curve. And 104 days until the next Presidential Election. Times just keeps passing, in spite of putting our lives on pause.

The way I see it, the current COVID-19 health crisis and America’s re-awakened fight against racism, are social justice synonyms of another name. We’ve been reminded during this pandemic that Health Care is a Human Rights issue. The current Black Lives Matters protests reminds us that Equal Rights are Human Rights issues, too. And we’re reminded that both are burdened with the worst of similarities — that is, both are disproportionately harmful to people of color. And presumed to be untrue until it actually affects you or someone you care about — right? What’s even more absurd is this belief that racism isn’t systemic. When, in fact, it is so deeply ingrained in Americans that when you protest for equal rights you are easily mistaken for protesting against America. I know this because I’ve seen it. I’m seeing it right now in my city and it’s heartbreaking.

I hope that we no longer overlook informed and intentional bigotry, by mistaking it, or forgiving it, as ignorance. I hope that we all keep wearing masks for each other, since we’re all in this together…