Tag: covid19

My Pandemic Life | Every Moment is a Story

In January 2020, we didn’t know much about the coronavirus (COVID-19). Now it’s all we talk about as this virus created the pandemic that ended our usual way of life. In this video, I share my thoughts about the situation as it has affected me financially.

Breathless in the Great Recession

COVID-19 continues to affect our way of life. My brother informed me that his father-in-law passed away due to the virus. States are lifting their shelter-in-place ordinances, and people are massing within their social circles. Alleged experts are warning of a resurgence in cases. As if things weren’t bad enough, there is a report of mosquitos carrying a deadly virus in the Northeast that has already killed several people. 

The economy is slowly restarting. We still have roughly 40 million unemployed people across the country. My layoff occurred in March, and my situation is unchanged. I am overwhelmed; this was not supposed to last three months. I have not been able to pay my mortgage and credit card bills. While I am on payment deferrals, the overdue fees and interest are still collected. My unemployment payments are less than a third of the income I used to earn weekly. I have applied to over one hundred job openings. Many of which I am either overqualified or uncertified. Everything I worked for, I will lose in a few months. 

The protests continue. My daughter participated here in Southern Nevada, and I am very proud of her. I spent time this week listening to James Baldwin’s interviews and his speeches. His words echoed the same scenarios we see today. It is frustrating and infuriating that the Black Community is still seeking equality within a nation that says, “all men are created equal.” The brazen disregard for human life is devastating, and as long as the “system” that supports it remains, we will struggle to overcome it. 

I wrote an article a few years ago regarding my feelings about Independence Day: https://writenowandlater.com/2016/07/03/we-hold-these-truths/. 

This year is a scary time. I’ve come to hate the word “unprecedented.” There is so much uncertainty that I am unable to sleep at night. I want to remain optimistic; however, we have six and a half months remaining with no signs of improvement. Time is not on our side.

June 7, 2020

It is almost three months since my layoff due to COVID-19. For the first time, I do not have a mitigation or contingency plan for dealing with this situation. I reworked my resume to showcase transferrable skills. I applied to nearly one hundred job openings. Unemployment benefits barely cover weekly expenses, personal savings dwindling, and some creditors offer little or no relief.

It is a scary time. There are an estimated 42 million Americans claiming unemployment across the country. The time limit on payment deferrals is running out. With Nevada moving into its second phase for reopening, I hope this situation ends soon.

Surreality

After a tumultuous year in 2019, I looked forward to the possibilities of the year 2020. The beginning of a new decade was exciting to think about. Or so I thought.

The year started with my father-in-law being seriously injured in a car accident. A couple of weeks later, I received a speeding ticket for the first time in over twenty years. We witnessed the United States attack on Iran and we learned about the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and others in a helicopter crash.

Then came the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. The virus that started in China, in mid-January, and quickly became a global plague by early-March. An unexpected turn of events, impacting our lives.

I’m not ready to accept this reality. I was laid off from work, effective March 18, 2020, due to the Coronavirus pandemic forcing businesses to shut down. I am not prepared, financially, for this crisis. The strangeness of this situation is that I am relatively calm. I realize there is nothing that I can do as I sit in isolation but enjoy the time I am able to spend with loved ones.

Las Vegas During The Shutdown

I hope that everyone is taking the necessary precautions to stay safe and healthy.