Originally, I was in denial. With my wife being a housewife, she would give me reports about what was happening across the country and in Washington DC with President Trump and his administration and how they were handling things with their medical task force regarding the virus. I would get these reports when I came home from work for lunch because she had been watching TV. And sure enough, eventually, the toilet paper frenzy and shortage started happening in our community and everybody began to stock up on the toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer, wipes, cleaning products, ammo, guns, survival items and can goods among many other items. It was ridiculous and crazy but a necessity at the same time that hundreds of people were rushing to do in our community. And it was happening all across the country also!
Then the anger hit. Everybody went to war on Facebook and social media all over the political spectrum on the different aspects of the virus whether or not that the virus was a hoax or not which many thought it was brought into American on purpose by the global socialists and communists. Then it became a liberal vs. conservative thing. A Republican vs. Democrat thing. One by one, people started being alienating and blocking friends, neighbors and family members. The divide in America over politics got even deeper and wider over issues of having to wear masks mandated by the Kentucky governor, the quarantines, the school closings, travel restrictions, shut downs of businesses and the limitations of gathering of people among tons of other restrictions. And over the things you could do and could not do. Many citizens felt that we were becoming a socialists country over the virus was occuring in America. Not to mention the riots that were happening in the streets again in America this summer and fall over racial tensions and the rise Black Lives Matters and how many people were turned off over the fact that the NFL and NBA took a stand with BLM.
Then people began bargaining with the fact that wearing masks into public buildings was being mandated by the governor and that the Covid-19 virus was real. We realized that there was not much we could do about it and yes, hundreds of people were dying as they said. Also, we began to bargain with the fact that this was going to be our way of life for a while until the vaccinations began to arrive and people we're given their shots. And then maybe, things would get better eventually. We hoped.
Then the depression hit. People who were not essential workers in society began to get depress because they were staying home all the time, not enough money to live on because of unemployment or not wanting to go back to work because they were making more money drawing unemployment rather than going back to work. Also a lot of small businesses in the community folded and collapsed because of the virus restrictions eventually causing them to go out of business for good. Also, lots people lost their jobs because of the virus and a lot of people ended up filing bankruptcy. And then it was being reported that a lot people have avoided going to the doctor altogether because the lack of money or no health insurance.
And finally, acceptance. Fortunately, I was able to avoid the depression part and jumped from the bargaining part straight into acceptance. This is where hope comes into the picture for me. So it is my hope this Christmas Eve, that all citizens in our college town of Bowling Green, Ky., finds peace and happiness in their lives in the final stage of acceptance of the virus. In order to survive, we have to have faith and hope this Christmas season no matter what. We have to look deep inside of ourselves. I feel very blessed that I have my faith, a job, a home, a family, a dog and my health. Mainly, we have to have hope and faith in our medical professionals and the new vaccinations and we must have hope and faith in each other and work together towards a common goal in our college town-getting back to normal in 2021! God Bless and Merry Christmas!
