Let’s talk about the elephant in the room and by that, I mean everything that has taken over the World. By now I’m sure everyone can agree that 2020 has been the wildest year thus far. However, I can only speak for myself and I will say that it has been the wildest year of all the 23 years that I have graced this planet. What is actually going on!?!?!?
Earlier in the year there were reports and news about a very contagious virus coming from the epicenter in Wuhan, China. The news and reports quickly became reality because the virus rapidly circulated around the ENTIRE World. And I’m going to be honest, I didn’t take it too seriously at first. I didn’t consider it anymore harmful than the common flu. I remember one of my coworkers talking about it back in December and I didn’t pay him no mind. Boy was I wrong!
The first cases of Covid-19 or Coronavirus in the United States were reported in January 2020. The first US death from Covid-19 occurred in February 2020 and the White house announced its advice to Stay at home around mid-March*. By the end of March, the majority of States commenced a “Lockdown or quarantine” *. The US currently has over 1,800,000 confirmed cases and roughly 114,000 deaths*. Upon the news of Coronavirus being a Global Pandemic, my job decided to give us the option to work from home for safety measures. And that is exactly what I did! I took the opportunity to take a trip to Florida for the weekend for my mom’s birthday. I got to Florida March 14th and I am still here. It is June. The day after I arrived it was announced at my job that we would all be working from home “until further notice”. I extended my trip for another week thinking everything would go away but yet again, I was wrong. What I had anticipated being a week-long vacation soon turned into a 3-month long staycation and my departure is still TBA. And I’ve been inside.
Not only have I been inside but all of you have been as well (hopefully). And I have never seen anything like it. The whole world is indoors (for the most part). And I hated every second of it at first. I was losing my mind. I wanted to go out so badly but couldn’t because everything was closed. Absolutely, hated it. But soon I realized that this was the new reality for the time being and I had to make the best of it. I took the time to really focus on myself and my wellbeing and I’m honestly so grateful. I started working out consistently again, I started cooking more, I picked up old hobbies that I had, and I got to spend real quality time with my family. I discovered that my parents are actually hilarious (who knew?? Not me). I have so much more of an appreciation for my family and a lot of other things in my life that I took for granted.
And most recently, amidst the craziness of Covid-19 and the economic crisis caused by Covid-19. The unjust murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others have sparked protests and demonstrations against police brutality around the world. But we find ourselves in a pivotal time period where, for the first-time people have the time to pay attention. By this I mean that we are in the middle of a pandemic with exponential unemployment rates so there is nothing else to do BUT pay attention. The black community has faced oppression, injustice and senseless violence for centuries and enough is enough. George Floyd is not the first man to be unlawfully killed by the police, but it gets to a point where it is physically, emotionally, and mentally unbearable to continuously watch your people suffer in such inhumane ways. Black lives Matter because black people are human beings. Period. This is not simply a black issue it is a human rights issue and it is about time that changes are made, and the racism imbedded into the foundations of almost every system in this country is dismantled. Not only is this a fight against police brutality but it’s a fight against all the obstacles that are strategically placed to hinder black people. It’s about equal and adequate funding and resources in education, public health equity, hiring discrimination, the mass incarceration of black men and so much more. To my fellow black people, go out and protest, vote, demand change, and make your voices heard. No justice, No peace! And I stand by that. And to those who are not black you can do the same and use your voice as well. Continue to educate yourself and learn more about some of the deeply rooted issues that your loved ones in the black community have been facing all of their lives. Support a black business, sign the petitions, and take part in this historical moment and the global challenge to racism around the world.
Like I said, this is by far the craziest year I have ever lived to see, and the year is only halfway over. Be safe everyone and I wish you all the best. And stay tuned for my upcoming blog posts, announcements, and more. I have so much in store, and I am so excited to share it with you all!
Sources: (*)
https://en.as.com/en/2020/06/06/other_sports/1591395381_781637.html
https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/politics/new-york-state/new-coronavirus-numbers.html
