It has been almost a year since Chicago's initial lock down. A year since my 3 months of furlough, followed by 3 months of unemployment. A year since all our lives were upended in ways I never would have imagined possible. The year has not been lost. In fact, it has been one of the most tumultuous ones in my 60 plus years. Lacking direction we were left adrift, left to make it up as we went along. For many "we are all in this together" turned into "every man for himself".
We have been fortunate. Financially we have come through this relatively intact. Despite periods of unemployment we have avoided the desperation and food lines experienced by others. In our house we have discovered that we can manage to, in fact managed to, weather a storm as intense as this one.
During the initial lock down I remember, perhaps making the best of a bad situation, remarking how unpleasant the cold spring weather was and how we probably wouldn't be spending much time outdoors anyway. Now Chicago is going through one of it's worst winter period in several years. Once again we can say "Well we wouldn't be going out much anyway" as the options in terms of outside the home activities are still somewhat limited right now.
Even though I have a job to go to, which gives me a day to day change of scenery, I do find myself suffering from fatigue. I long to meet friends at a restaurant or bar. I long to attend a play or just take an impromptu trip to Chicago's free Lincoln Park Zoo.
Things are reopening again. We hope this time it sticks. The Art Institute has reopened after having to close twice. Restaurants are allowing limited indoor dining, although I will admit that I, personally, am not "there" yet. My hope is that we will have a mild spring and outdoor dining will return sooner rather than later.
Our lives will return. But I wonder what follows. What lies ahead. Will we learn to be more grateful for experiences we once took for granted? Will the consideration I have seen among some of my fellow citizens continue going forward, after the crisis has passed? What lessons have I learned, what will I take with me from living through these times? Time will tell.
