We’re In This Together
April 21
Cars start lining up at Spanish Fort High School at 6:00 AM for Tuesday food distribution at Prodisee Pantry. Volunteers send 25 cars at a time. This is the new routing plan due to construction on Highway 31 and the Emergency Food Distribution. The number of families needing food has quadrupled during the weeks of Coronavirus.
"We give out approximately 40- 45 pounds of food per family. In four weeks we use the amount of food we usually in four months,” said Dean Servos, Executive Director. “Over 30 percent have never been to Prodisee Pantry during our 17 years. We are seeing a lot of the laid-off and reduced-hours wait staff. They are getting some stimulus money but that pays rent and the power bill and there is nothing left.”
At The Food Pantry at Central Church of Mobile, volunteers sang the theme song from The Love Boat while pushing carts in line. A man looked through his box of food and said, "Thank you, Jesus, they did me good. Chicken, broccoli, fish, and greens. Ooh, I am going to fry my fish when I get home."
Blakely State Park has reopened and a mother takes pictures of her daughter, a high school senior, and her boyfriend. These will count as their senior portraits and a reminder of the year that fell apart. They will be having their own prom with a few friends in June.
Mayor Stimpson said as of tonight, there are 721 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mobile County, and 38 deaths attributed to the virus. Please note that the total number of cases continues to rise, evidence that the disease is still spreading in Mobile.
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April 16
Fairhope Methodist Church and Rotary Youth Club delivered 180 lunches to the elderly in Mobile. Rotary Youth Club delivers and serves lunches Monday-Friday. The Little Food Pantry is stocked with food available for those who need it.
Leonard Houston played another pop-up concert in Fairhope.
The governor is suggesting that business and beaches can begin to reopen May 1.
April 15
A day of bad news for the ones who report the news. Al.com is cutting salaries and putting employees on furlough. Lagniappe is going back to bi-weekly for the printed edition.
April 13
Today is my 50th birthday. Social isolation was not the original plan.
A man stands on the corner in Fairhope holding a sign that reads “God Loves You” because God told him to do that today. This is also his 25th anniversary of getting sober.
Leonard Houston performed a pop-up concert in Fairhope. He plays at local restaurants and events and at nursing homes, but the COVID-19 ended most of his gigs. His pop-up concerts at local parks is to “keep up his chops and to bring a little joy.”
Big Daddy’s Grill on Fish River announced that it can no longer operate under the current conditions and is closing down until the government says it is time to reopen.
As of tonight, there are 491 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mobile County, and 17 deaths attributed to the virus.
April 11
Emily Pharez, PE Coach at J.L. Newton school in Fairhope, hops in a bunny suit outside of assisted living homes on Easter weekend. Singing, dancing, and shaking her bunny tail, she makes lonely quarantined residents smile. Human connection is missed while visits are restricted to friends and family members sitting outside windows and talking by telephone. No hugs. No holding hands.
As Pharez blows bubbles and kisses, residents touch their fingertips to the glass and smile. Some blow kisses back.
Pharez tells each one, “I see you.”
“So many people feel forgotten, invisible, or unappreciated, especially now,” she says. “I remind you that you are important and the world needs you.”
April 8
Mayor Sandy Stimpson expects to get approval of the Mobile City Council tomorrow that will allow MPD officers to begin writing tickets for curfew breakers.
A sign at Fairhope Pharmacy says one customer at a time. Catt's Brown Bag that was in Bienville Square for 34 years is now online. It began today with Eric Erdman.
Community Share Table at Freedom Church in Fairhope is provides food and cleaning supplies, just stop by and take what you need. The share table is open every Wednesday from 5-6 p.m. Anyone who wants to help can drop off donations at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. The church started the Community Share Table last week to help neighbors and families struggling to feed their kids. The church is in the same shopping center as Agave. The table is loaded with food, cereal, snacks and cleaning supplies
April 7
John Prine died from COVID-19. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in critical care.
Fairhope City Council voted 4-1 for no curfew.
There are over 2,100 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 64 reported deaths, and over 270 hospitalizations statewide in Alabama. There have been six deaths in Mobile County. The news says it is infecting African Americans at a higher rate.
Masks are being made on sewing machines around Mobile and Baldwin County, including by Chris Hill who sews wedding dresses and theater costumes. Sewing is relaxing to him and now he is grateful that he can use that to help. He signs the outside of envelopes "Stay Safe! Chris."
Outside of Central Presbyterian church, cars wait in line for hours along Dauphin Street for the drive-thru food pantry. Today they will serve 200 families. Double what they served before the Coronavirus. Volunteers from Rainbow Mobile and Prism United help load boxes of food into cars. Boxes filled with milk, bread, vegetables, spinach, tomatoes, and frozen turkeys.
Foy Superfoods and Pollman’s Bakery delivered 200 lunches to USA Children & Women’s Hospital and USA Mitchell Cancer Institute. Bebo gave a free car wash to all first responders and health care workers.
The 35th season of Catt’s Brown Bag Concerts will be virtual.
Help the families of Big Brothers Big Sisters in their Big Neighbors program:
1. Run critical errands for the families we serve.
2. Purchase out of your own pocket some grocery items for a family in need (we will meet you to pick the items up and drop off to the family).
3. Add can goods to one of our Little Free Libraries/Food Pantry (we will provide you with the location).
4. Design your own way to help (such as offering a service like lawn care).
5. Add me to a list and if a need arises, I will let you know if I can help.
If you're interested in being a part of the Big Neighbors program, please reach out to Kelly Qualls, VP of Programs at kelly@bbbssa.org!
April 4
People put palm trees in front yard and windows to celebrate Palm Sunday. Boaters picked up drinks and to-go food from the Flora-Bama Yacht Club. There were no longer sales of comic books, kale juice, or karate in Fairhope. Yellow tape wrapped around buggies turned upside down blocks the entrance to the thrift store. People are beginning to wear masks as they run into stores. Volunteers continue to make masks for healthcare workers.
Gas dropped to $1.52 at two gas stations in Fairhope.
There are now 1,614 cases of coronavirus in Alabama. The Alabama Department of Public Health’s data shows 43 reported deaths with 26 confirmed fatalities from COVID-19. Statewide, there are 212 people hospitalized from the virus. There are 29 cases in Baldwin County and one death. There are 116 cases in Mobile County and six deaths.
“The dream was to get La La Land Boutique to Fairhope. Our first location in Daphne wasn't great. We built the traffic and became a destination shop because we treated our customers well. In December we found a store in Fairhope. We did a complete renovation and opened the doors on February 29. We closed the doors eleven days later on March 11. We put everything we had on red with this move. We won for eleven days, then we crapped out when COVID 19 forced us to close the doors. Nothing was coming in and we had to adapt to stay alive. We are going hard on social media with broadcasts on Facebook and Instagram every other day and those have kept us going. We sold some big pieces today.” Jeff Butler, owner of LaLa Land Boutique
April 3
The teachers and staff from J. Larry Newton caravanned through the neighborhoods where their students live.
"There is so much behind that 'Thank You' written in my driveway," said a grandmother raising her grandson who is in the second grade. They were waiting for his teacher to pass by.
"I am a dinosaur and so much has changed from the first time I raised kids,” she said. “I couldn't do it without those teachers and that school. They have no idea how much they mean to me"
At a time when life should be a little easier, she is raising a child. She said he laughs and is a little boy again. "Giving him a safe home is more important than anything else I would have done with my life."
She has worked at Walmart for 21 years and is an "essential worker." She is frustrated by the groups of people still coming into the store with all of their children, ignoring the the warnings.
"Please tell people to stay home," she pleaded.
Down the street, another grandmother wore a purple wig and watched "The Brady Bunch" with her granddaughter while they waited. Recently furloughed from her job, she now keeps her granddaughter while her parents work. They are watching all episodes of the "Brady Bunch" and learning how to play Rummy.
A boy rode a skateboard. He is frustrated that he just turned 15 but the DMV is closed and his driver's permit will have to wait. A girl wore sparkly sandals and waved a blue pompom as the teachers drove by.
Students held up signs with their teachers' names and "Thank you." The signs on the teachers' cars said: "We miss you." "We love you." "Read." "Be creative."
Bo Hamilton, owner of Ox restaurant in Fairhope went to work earlier and stayed later to make sure his restaurant is the cleanest it can be. He is grateful to the customers who keep coming and that he can stay open and keep his employees working.
Alabama issued the "stay at home order." Mobile set a nightly curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and a “stay at home” order from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The United States reported more than 32,000 confirmed cases today, bringing its total to more than 273,000. The U.S. death toll is over 7,000. Alabama now has 1,535 confirmed cases, and 38 reported deaths. 21 from the illness. Baldwin County has 28 reported cases and one confirmed death. Mobile has 103 cases and 5 reported deaths ( Alabama Department of Public Health Infectious Diseases & Outbreaks Division.)
April 2
Starting on April 2nd, and everyday throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, bells will chime through the speaker system on the Thomas Hospital campus at 8am, 12pm, 4pm and 8pm. This will notify all those at Thomas Hospital...physicians, employees, patients and visitors, that their friends in Baldwin County are praying, at that very moment, specifically for them.
Confirmed global virus cases pass one million.
The White House debates all Americans wearing face masks.
US coronavirus deaths topped 1,000 a day. There have been 6,164 deaths and 243,729 cases. Alabama has 1,270 cases and 32 deaths. In Mobile, it is 69 cases and 4 death. There are 25 cases and 1 death in Baldwin.
Twenty police officers and 10 firefighters in Mobile have tested positive for carrying the antibodies of COVID-19.
Testing begins at Ladd Stadium in Mobile.
April 1
Adam Schlesinger, the lead singer from Fountain of Wayne, died from COVID-19 today.
Mississippi and Florida called today for sheltering at home.
The federal stockpile of emergency medical supplies is almost empty.
16 Mobile police officers and firefighters have tested positive for COVID-19.
March 31
Cars honked horns and flashed headlights in appreciation of the medical staff at Thomas Hospital. Volunteers at the Rotary Youth Club are planning how to get meals to other kids in Foley, Robertsdale, and Summerdale.
Hangout Festival was cancelled.
President Trump said it will be a very, very painful two weeks ahead. Government scientists estimate between 100,000 to 240,000 people could die in spite of social restrictions.
March 30
More cancellations including the rest of the season at the Frog Pond and the Taco Takedown. Bone and Barrel and The Alley stopped service until “We make it through to the other side.”
Joe Diffie died and John Prine is in critical condition from Covid-19. There are checkpoints in Florida to send residents of New York and Louisiana into 14 days of isolation.
Signs around downtown Fairhope say “temporarily closed” and “shopping by appointment.” A message taped to Cybele’ window thanks the landlord for waiving 50 percent off rent in April. “This is what a wonderful town Fairhope is for business owners. What a wonderful landlord I have. Thank you Pellam and Sharon Walker.”
Cars parked at Providence Hospital flashing their headlights for “Light Up The Darkness” to thank healthcare workers. Fairhope teachers caravaned through neighborhoods to who love and support to their students.
After-school teachers and volunteers at the Rotary Youth Club serve breakfast and lunch to 150 to 180 children a day. Volunteers deliver to children in Fairhope whose parents can’t stop by. They want to also provide care packages for the elderly.
March 28
Non-essential businesses were required to shut down today and will remain closed until April 15. This does not include gun shops or the liquor store, those are essential. Non-work related gatherings can not have more than ten people. Schools are closed through the end of the school year, but daycare centers can remain open.
Florida set up checkpoints blocking the entry of anyone from Louisiana. Mobile is getting government support from free lunches and is feeding kids at school, rec centers, and their bus stops. Help that schools with free lunch rates less than 50 Percent don’t get. Prodisee Pantry will have a mass emergency food distribution on Tuesday, March 21 from 9 am to noon.
Messages written in chalk today were: “Be Bold, Be Brave,” and “Share Your Light.”
March 26
If you've got pain
He's a pain taker
If you feel lost
He's a way maker
If you need freedom or saving
He's a prison-shaking Savior
If you've got chains
He's a chain breaker
The song "Chain Breaker" played outside 3 Circle Church where the parking lot was set up for giving out free COVID test kits. The signs said "Welcome Friends. Please keep your windows up" and "Text 3CTEST to 9700 for more information." 3Circle had 200 tests and had already given out 75 by lunch. The Hope Center, a non-profit medical clinic on the church’s campus, and the American Esoteric Laboratories helped the church acquire these kits.
A testing tent is set up behind Thomas Hospital. At the hospital's front entrance, signs were put up that say "Heroes Work Here." Nurses came out on break to see the signs and have their pictures made with arms held wide, showing they are standing the appropriate distance from each other.
For the second Thursday in a row, Subway gives out more than free lunches to school kids. They are hoping sponsors or churches join in to help keep the free lunch day going because they see the hungry children in Fairhope.
In Mobile, Lisa Denham leaves free lunches in a cooler at the rental house she is renovating. She gave out 90 lunches today and is figuring out how to have a pancake breakfast or hotdog lunch.
A drive-in movie and prayer service at hospitals in cars have been organized for this weekend.
The virus affects people in different ways. A mother working the night shift at the hospital worries about feeding her four kids. A woman just finally finding hope completing an intensive therapy program to help with her bipolar disorder worries that "the world suddenly stopping" is going to set her back.
Jonah Kuit drew Beatles lyrics in chalk around the Bluff Park overlooking the bay: "I get by with a little help from my friends," "Comer together right now," "Imagine all of the People," and "All you need is Love."
Tuesday, March 24
It is food pantry day at Central Presbyterian Church, but the pantry is now a drive-thru. Volunteers arrive early to box the meat, milk, and produce. Distribution begins at 1:00 p.m., but a few arrive at 9:00 a.m. to be the first in line.
Mary and Martha (not their real names) are best friends and talk the hours before time to get in line. Mary was a nurse and caregiver until her body turned her into a cancer patient with a pacemaker. Mary went to college, worked hard, and cared for everyone else. Her husband was in the military and served in Iraq. She never dreamed she would be waiting in line for a food pantry, but this is her fourth time and she is grateful for the fresh fruits and vegetables.
Mary and met Martha during a visit from church ladies at a low point of her cancer. Martha stayed and talked and the two became best friends. Martha cares for elderly neighbors, nieces who need a mother, and a brother who she helped through an addiction to crack. Another brother did not recover from an alcohol addiction. He is dying in the hospital right now, but increased Coronavirus precautions means family visitation is not allowed. Martha may never see her brother again.
Ms. Evelyn, 86, volunteers at the food pantry every week. Today she sits in a chair a safe distance away telling people to buckle up and have a good day.
The American Lunch Truck, a non-profit free lunch program sponsored by the owner of Five and Chuck's Fish, parked at Cathedral Square serving free lunches of chicken salad sandwiches and a Mediterranean salad with grilled chicken. The truck served free lunches in Mobile three days a week, but has just increased to five.
"This is our purpose and why were are here," said manager Ben Loggins. "We have never been needed more and we are going into hyperdrive. We have less to do in the restaurants right now and we are spending more time with American Lunch. That is a lot more important than making money. We will be here about noon every day this week."
Around the corner, Shane Long wears a dragon costume and rabbit ears, calling himself Dragon Bunny, while walking his dog. He got bored and dressed up. He worked for Lo Da Bier Garten for four months before the shutdown, a job he misses already. He goes to work next week for an air conditioner company to keep paying the bills.
"The Bier Garten owner, Matt Golden, is amazing. I came back from Panama City to Mobile and love living downtown. Mobile is a hidden treasure. It is quiet here now, but there is also serenity, which is beautiful.
"I have lived in a lot of places and this is the coolest. The locals here make it special. I am an optimist and we won't let this shit beat us."
Monday, March 23
The Fairhope City Council voted to close the pier, parks with playgrounds, the dog park, and north beach. It also limited groups to ten or less on private property. During a COVID-19 press conference, Mayor Stimpson said, “We need to, to the degree we can, keep our cities open.”
The American Lunch truck, sponsored by Five and Chuck's Fish gave out free lunches downtown and will do this all week.
Social workers help ”
The American Lunch truck, sponsored by Five and Chuck's Fish gave out free lunches downtown and will do this all week.
Social workers help ”
The American Lunch truck, sponsored by Five and Chuck's Fish gave out free lunches downtown and will do this all week.
Social workers help foster parents keep balance and structure and their sanity. “The children are adapting well because they are used to lives of chaos and disruption,” said Beth Mead of Alabama Mentor.
The Downtown Mobile Alliance converted The Little Free Library next to their office into a Blessing Box. Take what you need, or donate something for someone else. Non-perishable food and personal care items are most in demand.
I was sent a story about a woman with respiratory issues whose husband has some of the signs of coronavirus. They are now living on separate floors of their home and she is "terrified of and for" the man she loves.
The Fairhope Face Masks project is coordinating volunteers and materials to make masks for local hospitals. The group started on Friday and has made 250 so far. Fairhope Methodist Church also sent out a request for help making masks and protective gowns to prepare now for shortages.
The Emergency Pet Fosters for COVID-19 was created to care for pets of those who get sick or who are hospitalized and need a safe place for their animals.
Today a friend from Mississippi State posted on Facebook he has the Coronavirus. He is an emergency room doctor in Ketchum, Idaho. He is the first person I know to get infected and it was a shock to read the first words of his story.
"The coronavirus is inside my body right now, trying to kill me.
My illness began as a whisper that slowly turned into a scream. A runny nose morphed into fevers, bone-rattling shakes and a bed soaked in sweat, every cough raking a throat that felt burnt. My chest and back ached with each breath, the lining of my lungs teeming with replicating sickness. Worst of all was the shortness of breath that awakened me in the middle of the night, the suffocating feeling sparking a most uncomfortable fear.
Normally during times of crisis, people band together, we congregate. But we can’t do that now. We suffer alone. Yes, things look bleak.”
He is healing and will be on the front lines healing people as soon possible, but asks us to "choose 'Netflix and chill' over 'lost limbs and gangrene'."
He ends with, "I’m eager to fight for my fellow humans. And we shall win this war."
Sunday, March 22
It is Sunday and church services and youth groups are now virtual.
In Baldwin County, signs offer rewards for Lucky the cat, Amaryllis bloom, and a sign at Weeks Bay Plantation tells that the Bald Eagle Bash has been canceled.
Heroes that has "proudly served Mobile since November 6,1998," announced tonight that it is closing both locations until further notice.
Today was "Band Together Mobile," an online benefit where local bands played at the Soul Kitchen and the audience watched online. It has raised more than $6,000 so far for the sound, tech, and lighting guys behind the Mobile music scene.
During the Sunday afternoon in the park, a young woman sketched dresses. There were dogs, skateboards, and fishing poles. High school seniors, bored and ready to return to school, took a break from watching Netflix and eating apple pie with ice cream. A new message was chalked on the sidewalk, "Be Still and Know The Lord is Always With You."
The Fairhope pier and parks were closed at sunset today until the City Council can make the final decision at tomorrow's council meeting. At 5 p.m., the police blocked the street to the pier, cutting short cookouts and volleyball games. Some agreed with the decision and others said our freedoms are ending. A group of girls gathered on the bluff, painting balloons, flowers, unicorns, dinosaurs, and turtles for something to do. They worked out together this morning and said they will keep doing both to pass the time. A couple carrying a basket of food and a vase of flowers also settled on the bluff for their first picnic. They have dated for two years and are trying to keep the romance alive.
A sign outside Winn-Dixie advertises "Senior Hours" from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday. Employees spray Lysol on buggies and all surfaces at the front of the store as seagulls wander around the empty parking lot.
A woman sent this story that helps explain the personal difficulties of living through Coronavirus. "My husband and I are working from home and not leaving the house other than for walks because he is immunocompromised. Though an otherwise healthy mid-30-year-old, we've both been told that this thing could kill him because he has to take medicine that suppresses his immune system. Not taking it isn't an option, either. The emotional weight is heavy. It is hard being isolated from others. I also struggle with it because I'm used to jumping up and helping out when disaster hits. The decision to stay put occasionally makes me feel guilty because I feel I should be helping others that are less fortunate. I have to remind myself that for all of the privileges we have, a healthy immune system isn't one that my partner has. It's the right choice, but I've felt defensive about it."
Things are changing every day, but the time to be still is not forever. I hope Heroes reopens much sooner than later, the sidewalks at the Fairhope Pier will be covered by inspirational messages written by children, and we are back with dogs, fishing poles, skateboards, and flowers.
Saturday, March 21
The morning began with another event cancellation, the 2020 Mob Town Mac and Cheese, and the death of Kenny Rogers. Local groups are making masks as local doctors ask for supplies. Papa John's fed Thomas Hospital for free while the streets of Fairhope should have been filled with the Arts and Crafts Festival. Easter service signs at churches are a reminder of the resurrection and better times to come.
People drove from Mississippi and the Eastern Shore to Pizzeria Delphina for Takeout Day. Owner Richie Gambino is grateful for the locals who keep coming and the regulars adjusting to taking out their usual meals even when they can't seat in their usual seats.
The Crescent Theater is closed but the marquee says, "We Love You Mobile. Stay Safe." The Little Free Library in the Lost Garden on Dauphin Street has been converted into a Blessing Box where you "Take what you need for today, leave what you can to help someone else."
Bid Services still cleans leaves from the sidewalks downtown and Jennifer Smith received boxes filled with her first novel, A Time to Serve. Digital road signs on the Causeway remind "Alabama Beaches Closed." Moments normal and extraordinary.
In Bayou La Batre, yards are mowed and a welder torches the bottom of the Miss Jessalee. In the convenience store parking lot, where gas is $1.67 per gallon, a woman tells the man at her window, "You can go to church all you want, that doesn't mean you've got God. God is love, love is God. You've got to love and God in your heart, baby, you're going to be okay.
At 8:15 on a Saturday night, Dauphin Street is empty. Restaurants and bars are dark and parking spaces are plenty. Picnic tables are turned upside down on sidewalks, discouraging lingering and social interaction, and only two scooters pass by. A friend walking her dog said she is already going crazy. "Being separated from Mobile and our people is making me appreciate it even more."
Friday, March 20
The beaches are empty and Thomas Hospital announced its first patient with coronavirus. A first-grader at Bayshore tested negative for COVID-19 but additional bloodwork tests showed the child at contracted and carried the virus, most likely infected during the school’s winter break the last week of February. The school asked if you had contact with first-grade students the past week to self-quarantine and contact your doctor for recommendations.
There are also businesses doing good. Southern National in Mobile announced that it is temporarily closing its doors but will give the "hospitality and service industry comrades" complementary to-go meals. The Alabama Contemporary Art Center is temporarily closing the galleries and committing 60% of all new reciprocal memberships to relief for service industry folks until April 6th. The Spiffy Fox has sack lunches available through the pickup door for anyone who asks. The Fairhope Subway said they gave out 300 free lunches to school kids yesterday.
All over Fairhope are signs of change. "To-Go" signs are taped to the windows of the Waffle House. Signs attached to doors tell of “daily sanitizing and multiple daily wipings of frequently touched surfaces.” Or apologizing to customers for being "temporarily closed." Pink signs at the Piggly Wiggly request, "Please maintain social of six feet" and blue circles taped every six feet to the floor at Page & Palette instruct "Stand here. Please practice social distancing." Curbside service at the bookstore is also available.
The line is constant outside the locked door of the ABC store as five customers are allowed inside at a time.
Blood donors at the LifeSouth bloodmobile are placed on a waiting list with a scheduled time. They are part of the "fantastic response” after President Trump asked Americans to donate.
In the Piggly Wiggly, wine is restocked. Some customers wear gloves, and friends bump elbows instead of hug. The only thing left on the bread aisle are signs that say, "Limit one bread item," loaves of pumpernickel, and bags of croissants.
At the pier, people eat to-go dinners from Ox Kitchen and the Yacht Club. On the sidewalks, Jonah Kuir wrote messages in chalk of hope and encouragement. "You'll never walk alone." "Hang in there." "Spreading the joy." "Look for the helpers," and "We're in this together."
A friend compared these days of uncertainty to the feeling she has before a hurricane hits. "It is swirling out there, but we don't know how bad it will be until it hits land,” she said. “But as in every crisis and disaster, we support each other and make it through.”
As Jonah reminds us, “we are in this together.”
March 19
These are confusing times. Restaurants and schools are closed, we are told to stay home and away from each other. No consoling or coming together as we do during times of crisis and disasters.
On Facebook is a picture of a friend holding his chopped off beard that it took him years to grow saying quarantine got the best of him. Another tells the story of a woman who pulled up next to her in a parking space at Mardi Gras park, dropped her drawers, urinated, said "Corona' and sped away. Restaurant servers and bartenders living paycheck to paycheck worry about what will happen when the paycheck ends
Social media keeps us connected with where to buy curbside meals from local restaurants to musicians using Facebook live to help replace canceled gigs. A benefit is announced raising money for those working all sides of music in Mobile. The Mayor says Mobile’s first case is here and a nurse from Providence Hospital tells us to stay home for their protection and our own.
Filling in time watching Masterclasses with my kids. David Sedaris advises to look up from the phone and find the stories in the world around you. And to write every day. "So many things happen when you are writing at your desk when you don't have an idea. But they aren't going to happen if you don't sit at your desk."
Isolation at home makes public moments seem significant and worth writing about. In George Bluff Park, women talk in a circle, chairs a safe distance apart. A yoga class does tree poses and down dogs on the bluff overlooking the sunset. Emoes hang from trees. On the pier are conversations about forming an LLC and the cleaning philosophy of Marie Condo -- keep only the things that have meaning. On the beach, a teenage couple spins slowly around on the merry go round then shifts to the swings.
There are baseballs, footballs, swimsuits, and a volleyball. A father cheers for a catch and tells his son, "you have gotten 50 percent better today."
As we drive home past restaurants with doors open and families carrying bags of dinner to go, the news tells of a shortage of ventilators, masks, and tests. Gene’s Beans closed at 5:00 today with no more Fairhope Floats until they “figure out how to become a takeout establishment.”
The times are confusing, but we are trying to pull together despite our distance. We are inspiring each other.
"Never be sad in life, even in times like this," said Carlett Martin in a Souls interview that posted today. "Make a difference to change the atmosphere or situation. Love on people. We can't alienate ourselves or be too distant for love. Keep encouraging each other to do the right thing and take care of ourselves. One day we will come back together in communion. Don't go down the path of depression and loneliness. Come back to the surface. Let's live and live on purpose."
I have never been through a pandemic like this so I am trying to write a little of it down now. I want to remember what we went through and how we changed before we have communion again.
