COVID-19 is Painfully Real — My wife and I are living witnesses

This year has been incredibly challenging for me and I imagine everyone in our country.  The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the core of many in an extremely negative way. Schools, businesses and social life have been disrupted totally by this plague. The president says the virus is going away, while our best scientists are warning everyone to prepare for an extremely long winter as the virus is gaining steam for a second punch. Scientists project a high spread of the virus and have been encouraging Americans to be vigilant in social distancing.  So, do we believe our leader, or do we believe our scientists? 

In Southwest Virginia, COVID-19 cases are on the rise. On Oct. 13, my wife and I tested positive for the virus. When I received the phone call, genuine concern filled my psyche, not for myself but for the love of my life. I have heard too many stories of people of color dying from this horrific plague, and honestly, I was overcome with fear. There is no cure right now (it’s on the way), therefore, we must make sure we do our part to stem the spread. My wife and I were vigilant in wearing our masks. Before quarantine, I was extremely troubled by people in our community not wearing masks and not socially distancing. Local and national news outlets have continued to broadcast the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s message that the best way to protect yourself and others is to wear a mask, but so many are not doing so. Instead making it a political statement rather than one of potential life and death. 

Coronavirus in our business community is destroying the dreams of entrepreneurs and long-time business owners. Small businesses in our neighborhoods are vanishing at an alarming rate. The store I normally frequented for morning coffee has shut down. The owner said he tried to hold on, but bills outpaced income. He had no choice. He had operated his convenience store for more than  15 years. Now his dream has been killed by the same virus raging a war on human life. His loss of business saddens me, as does the fact that business ownership is faltering at alarming rates. I pray that my coffee supplier, along with other business owners, find a new dream or direction in their life to replace the passion that has been lost. 

I also pray that a cure will be found soon, so that we can start rebuilding our community and our country and reignite the growth of dreams and passion within all of us.  

Tomorrow is the path forward.