My life
is usually so busy that my calendar can have as many as three events on the
same day. I toss so many balls into the air that occasionally one smacks me on
top of my head.
Lately,
meetings and events have been scheduled, and cancelled. My calendar was covered
with so many changes, delays, and rescheduled events, that I finally gave up
and bought a dry erase board. It’s been handy for changes, because I can just
erase a date, or time, and write in the new info.
Sometimes,
I don’t feel like I’m in Missouri anymore, but have entered a strange world
where everything is just a half bubble out of plumb. Each day brings changes:
social distancing, sheltering in place, self-quarantine, businesses closing,
and the stock market changing at warp speed.
After
the Alzheimer’s forum was cancelled, I thought I’d be able to go with the
family band to play at the nursing homes. The first home cancelled because of
the flu. Shortly after our first practice, all nursing homes were on lockdown—no
visitors or volunteers.
I can’t
help but think how stressful it would have been for me if I hadn’t been able to
see Jim when he was in long-term care. When anyone asked me why I did things for him that the nursing home should
have been doing, I had to admit that it was for my own peace of mind. It helped
me to know that he was fed, dry, and clean.
Jim was
like a part of me. He became dependent on me to see about his well-being. When he
could no longer remember our life together, his memories lived with mine in my
heart.
Looking
back I see how crazy it was for us to get married when we did. Jim had to
finish his tour in Vietnam. Then, he was stationed at Ft. Riley for a year. We
lived in Manhattan, Kansas, in a one-room apartment. Yes, one room, not one
bedroom. We had no air-conditioning and it must have been one of the hottest
summers in history. Before Eric was born, we moved to a bigger apartment in the
same house.
The
point I’m getting at is that we barely had enough money to live on. We paid our
rent and utilities and carefully shopped for a month’s worth of groceries.
After Jim got out of the service, we lived below the poverty level until I went
to work at the Rural Electric Cooperative ten years later.
We went
through some hard times, but we always managed to have money in a savings
account for even harder times. Jim could keep any old car running and he could
fix anything. If the washing machine broke down, no problem. We had family, we
had love, and that’s what makes a person’s heart wealthy.
So
yeah, a lot of people are going to face some tough times. My 401k is taking a
major hit right now, but just like the last recession—if worse comes to worse,
I’m not afraid. I’ve been poor before and living through that time is what
made me, me.
The
economy doesn’t scare me for myself. I do worry about those who have never
known how to budget, how to wear the same clothes and shoes for several years,
or how to plan a healthy meal with limited funds. I hurt for the kids who
depended on school for their only meals.
I hope
that we work together as decent human beings to change the trajectory of this
virus. When we come out on the other side, more people are going to learn that hard
times make us stronger. When life, as well as our calendars, is decluttered, we
will rediscover the worth of simpler times.
Copyright
© March 2020 by L.S. Fisher
#ENDALZ
2 comments:
Your post reminds me of when my husband and I were first married. Amazing how we managed to make it through all these years. We're secure now, but like you, worried about our savings and investments. Thankful to have both of these, many are not so fortunate. Blessings to you and your husband. Carol, tehachap (at) wordpress (dot) com
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