To recall the pandemic, between the years of 2020 and 2023; I’m going to say it officially subsided between the year or end year of 2022, and during that time we were definitely on a lockdown. Locked down from some family and close friends. It was unfortunate that a lot of people lost their jobs. If the job wasn’t essential, then it was shut down. Some jobs transitioned to remote, and classrooms also took on remote. I experienced remote learning as a substitute teacher. During this time of our isolation, some people had to acquire new skills to help a family cook, clean, or interact more with the people that we were locked down with. Some people had newfound basic self-care skills such as cutting their own hair. Women and men had to learn how to do their hair and manicure their nails. I cut my son’s hair with clippers and kept my hair in boxed braids, along with my daughter’s. Some people put some dormant skills to work, for instance, sewing. With inflation on the rise and masks out of stock, sewing skills were a must. Since I already had a business through Shopify that I used to dropship items, I expanded that business to make direct sales by making masks. Along with the stimulus that was given to us, I believe that I made enough money to support my family, especially when making sure that there was food on the table.

As I mentioned earlier, a lot of businesses, if they were not essential, were shut down and we had to stand at a six-foot distance from one another. We had to wear our masks on a daily and constant basis from everyone. With one sniffle we were at the doctor’s office checking for COVID, whether it was a positive diagnosis or not. Unfortunately, some of us didn’t make it through this ordeal, lives were lost, families were broken, and children were left without their parents. I just pray that we continue to move forward to make sure that this pandemic doesn’t happen again. We need to remember to wash our hands, take care of ourselves when we’re sick, wear our face covering, when necessary, take proper precautions, and visit our Primary Care provider annually.

What types of essential services were made available during the pandemic? Do you believe that delivery services were amped to one hundred? We should thank the ones who put their own lives at risk to make sure the world was fed. As I mentioned before, it was unfortunate that businesses were shut down during the pandemic. People didn’t have access to anything and lives were in shambles. People were confused. Just about the entire world was affected by this event. But just like any other pandemic, world catastrophes, worse; simple earthquakes, and tornadoes, we as people know how to adapt, adjust, rebuild, and move forward. We are stronger than catastrophes, we manage Mother Nature, we’re stronger than illnesses, and we know how to find a way. I had no car during the pandemic, so my only means of transportation was the bus or walking. This meant I had to haul my family’s laundry to the nearest laundromat and find a way to do the grocery shopping. Some laundromats started delivery services which I gladly participated in. You need to download an app onto your phone, add your debit or credit card for payments, add your preferred location, and then schedule the service. A van would come to pick up your Laundry, take it to the laundromat, the attendant would wash them, and your items would be returned, almost the next day.

Grocery stores participated in the same services. For instance, Amazon had a separate ordering section called Amazon Fresh with Whole Foods. I’m uncertain as to when these services were made available before, but they were in full operation during the pandemic. The process was simple; you would essentially order your food and have it delivered to your house. The picture above shows what type of food Amazon Fresh delivered. It’s just like walking into a grocery store, but online. Yes, during the pandemic, most deliveries were non-contact. This means I made sure to be available to track my order when they arrived, then waited until the driver returned to their vehicle to retrieve my items. As you can see from the picture, I tried to stay with the basics and remain healthy while our family was going through this ordeal called a pandemic with the rest of the world. I ordered groceries at least 2 to 3 times a month, alternating my orders between groceries and basic care, such as hygiene and household essentials.

Unfortunately, my family was ill multiple times, but by the grace of the almighty, we made it through. Think about the everyday things we take for granted and ask yourself if you could you do without them during the next crisis. In addition, think about what skills or new habits you have acquired since the pandemic. As the old cliché goes “You never know what you are capable of doing, unless you have to do it.” Finally, I would like to extend my gratitude to all the essential workers who put their own lives at risk every day to keep their communities healthy, care for the sick, kept grocery stores open, kept deliveries moving forward, provided free public transportation, kept the communities safe, and made sure our children didn’t miss a beat in their education. Essential workers ROCK!

If you would like more information about how to order from Amazon Fresh/ Whole Foods, click on the links below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And That’s Cathy’s Perspective!