Saturday, August 29, 2020

Mr. Boseman

 He left us yesterday.  He left behind memories of him in the portrayals of positive black male images. Images that as a child growing up in the 1960s I never saw.  Through his movie roles he gave us stories about black super heroes.  The early struggles of black sports figures.  Black entertainers.  Those involved in the legal struggle for the human rights of black people.  I enjoyed the movies of Chadwick Bozeman.  Several of them are in my DVD collection.  We thank God for giving him to us for the time he was with us.  He fulfilled his purpose.  God has called him Home.  We don't always leave this life in a "peaceful" manner.  For whatever reason we leave after a period of suffering.  It is as though this suffering is necessary to escape from this world.  Thank you Mr. Boseman for your body of work through the movies you made.  Thank you for giving black and other minority youth an image they could relate to in the made up world of "super heroes".  Your work included us as being special also.  I waited some 50 plus years to see my black super hero on the movie screen.  It was worth the wait.  Our condolences to your family as they grieve his loss from this world.  Rejoice in knowing he has moved onward to the next level, the final destination we should all aspire to.





Thursday, August 20, 2020

Six Months Into Covid - My Report

 I first must thank God that my wife and I have to date not been infected by Covid 19.  My spouse and I had traveled to New Orleans in mid February just as Mardi Gras was starting up.  We then departed New Orleans for a 7 night cruise during the height of Mardi Gras.  As we boarded the cruise ship, the concerns at that time were only for those people who had traveled to China in the past few months.  We still religiously washed our hands while on the ship and practiced extensive safe hygiene.  After we returned home from the cruise reports started to come in that Covid 19 was rampant in New Orleans due to the close crowd contacts during Mardi Gras.

In early March the virus began it's spread throughout the United States.  As it spread more our normal activity of eating out in restaurants came to a halt in the second week of March.  I experienced my first view of a grocery store nearly being empty of food during my first shopping spree during the initial hoarding and panic by those with a selfish nature. Unlike the present, grocery stores had not prepared a policy on limiting the amount of items customers could by during pandemic conditions.  There  were shortages of many common household items normally found in stores.

Normal activities of going to the store, a restaurant, movie theater, retail stores, became a hazard as the virus was spreading through human contact.  People were finally advised to stay at home and then to wear a mask if you had to go out.

During the past months my wife and I have been allowed to stay Covid free.  The impacts of Covid on our lives has mostly been in the area of reduced ability to eat inside restaurants and to participate in entertainment adventures we had become accustomed to.  We did not lose a job, nor have we faced any economic losses. Unlike the 170,000 people who have died from Covid related illnesses, we have been very fortunate to have prospered somewhat during Covid.

Although I had already been lead by God to plan on just saving money this year and reducing travel and entertainment expenses, Covid definitely helped to ensure I could not travel anywhere for entertainment this year! The money I would have spent on travel and entertainment went towards the purchase of property in the state of Florida, a state I have visited over 40 times in the past 30 years.  During Covid I was able to direct funds into purchase of the new property and at the same time pay off debts I had incurred in the past months.  That resulted in all of my credit cards being at zero balance by the time we closed on the new property.

The primary negative event during Covid was the death of my mother at age 89.  She had suffered from the ravages of Alzheimer's for 3 years.  I was able to see her for the last time just before Covid ramped up.  To show you how God is there when you especially need him, my back and forth battle with the Veterans Affairs over benefits she had deserved to get since 2018 was settled during Covid at the exact time when the funds were needed to help pay for 24 hour homecare for her.  She received a $15,000 retroactive payment a month before she passed away.  Those funds were instrumental in allowing her to have quality care during her last month of life.

I continue to practice safe habits during this Covid season.  I wear a mask whenever I go out to stores and when I am around people in general.  I do not understand the refusal of some people to wear a mask.  It just shows respect for humanity and the fact that we are fragile.  I do wonder if the people refusing to wear a mask even believe in God?  Their behavior to me does not reflect a fear of God or a respect for the people God created.

I only flew on an airplane once during Covid.  That was to attend the funeral of my mother.  It was an eerie experience.  One plane was only half full and the airports were  nearly deserted.  Most of our human entertainment/idolization activities have come to a halt.  Cruise ships, sporting events, movies, museums,  concerts.  All of our monuments to our self and our care free behaviors have been put on hold.  We have been given the opportunity to redirect our activities elsewhere.  I have used my free time for getting more into the Word of God and focusing on improving my spirituality and seeking a life after this life.  There is eternal life through God.  The pleasures of this world are truly temporary.  All the fun activities I experienced before Covid were great, but they are gone and are now just memories.

I have decided to seek a future after my worldly death.  So I try to abide by the principles expressed in the bible regarding what our human behavior should be like while we are on this earth.  The human goals of wealth, fun, and "nothing should be kept from me" I no longer believe in.  Their are limits set by God on our behavior.  Abide by those rules and have everlasting life.  Do not abide by the rules and live your "heaven on earth" will have dire and negative consequences.

I can not explain why each of the 170,000 people who have died from Covid 19 had to leave life via the impacts of Covid.  I pause out of respect for the pain family members experienced in losing a loved one.  I only know that Covid did modify my behaviors.  It kept me out of places I did not belong in, and focused me in a direction that provides potential for long term positive results.  It has sharpened my spirituality and ironically brought financial blessings and better health to my life.

There is no promise that I will escape the ravages of Covid 19.  This I know. For now I do have a peace and understanding of life that I truly did not have before Covid 19.  Stay safe and seek God during these times.