Commentary

This morning, I sat at my desk in Dayton to begin the editing process for this week's Dayton Chronicle and East Washingtonian, and for the first time since the beginning of January, I have a clear mind–or clearer than what I had become used to-I no longer feel like a walking zombie.

Since school began in September, my students have brought to me a new ailment each week-some type of cold, flu, sinus issue, and headache, all of which is compounded by my seven-day-a-week, 16-hour-a-day schedule (as you know, business owners do not take sick days off). My body has not fared well. Just as I was recovering from one, another took hold.

January seemed to bring an even more aggressive virus that put me in an exhausted state with headache, congestion, body aches, coughing, sneezing, vision issues, sleepiness, nausea, but no fever that I could tell. It resembled COVID, but it was not! I lived on Tylenol, even tried drowning the symptoms with a glass or two of wine on those sleepless nights, which didn't help at all. I thought this was going to be my "new normal"-as the newest trend cliché goes.

I attribute this change in how my body handles everyday viruses to the mandatory shutdown and masking during COVID, which affected my immune system in a negative way, greatly. In fact, the three years of government mandates have changed how we all live and relate to each other, compromising not only our health but our communities.

I think we don't go out much anymore, instead shelter in place by choice. This action affects how businesses and organizations function. People do not volunteer as they once did, nor take advantage to local offerings through entities such as the Senior Center. Home delivery has become the new way we get things, from groceries to cooked meals. The connectedness once prevalent in our communities has diminished.

How do we change this? How do we become friends again? How do we support our local businesses and organizations? How do we make our community strong again? As long as we stay inside, we will not recover, and our downtown and organizations will cease to exist. Do not be afraid. Live again!

Back to my initial thought, because of being out of circulation over those three years, I had become more susceptible to any little thing that came my way-which I was not used to experiencing. I am sure when school begins next fall, and after going through this year-long living openly again--an immune building session, I will have a cast-iron immune system to ward off even the nastiest virus. God is so good in the way He made us.

So, I ask forgiveness and your mercy for my fogginess, diminished response times, and even missed submissions; I just didn't know how unwell I was until today. So, for those of you who have experience similar circumstances as I have, I appreciate your commitment to getting through each day. to live again. There are better days ahead.