Guest Artist: Paine - Notes from the Inside #6

My friend Paine, who is on the autism spectrum, checks in again.  And he calls it as he sees it  - skype as much as you need to - getting "together" is important.  But to really flatten the curve, action talks and BS walks.  Put on a mask and gloves and keep social distance.  Actively work to flatten the curve.

Personally, this resonates for me.  I stepped outside for the first time in a month to see a doctor and I saw way too many people (mostly under 30! Why?) walking around without a mask or gloves.   Those folks are more dangerous to me that an 1970s mugger at 2 a.m. in the morning.

NOTES FROM THE INSIDE #6

Since I started writing these notes, a lot of things have happened, not just in the world, but in my own life.

I managed to find another job that pays well and I’ve heard a lot of good things about people coming together to raise money for and awareness about the virus. This is great, this needs to keep going if we are to get out of our current situation.

Our leaders need to put aside politics, put aside egos, do what they were put in office to do and help the American people.

The media needs to stop spreading fear of the disease and tell us what is being done to help contain and eventually cure it, but most of all, we as a nation need to come together and help each other get through these dark times and not just by getting together via Skype or FaceTime or whatever webcam service people use to talk to each other or have a singalong.

We need to do our part to fight this virus, whether it be washing our hands, wearing a face mask and gloves when we go out or even donating to help with the effort in combating the virus. This situation will get resolved, how long and how fast it takes for it to do so is up to us.

Guest Artist: Paine - Notes from the Inside #5

My friend Paine is bright, articulate and on the autism spectrum. He has a unique take on things and continues to share it with us here.

NOTES FROM THE INSIDE #5

 

During the week I heard that a scientist said that people in our country might have to practice social distancing until the year 2022.

When I heard that, I thought that people would really start panicking, I also thought of all the things that happened to cause all of this to happen and of what needs to be done to make sure we get through this.

If our government hadn’t kept downplaying this virus then chances are, we probably wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in. As it is however, we are and we need to come together to help each other get through this tough time.

I’ve seen people on social media doing some good things such as Broadway stars singing songs from their homes. There’s even been TV specials where people sing songs from their homes, sometimes even encouraging home viewers to sing along.

This is proof that we’re all in the same boat and that we can and will get through this very tough time.

I don’t know how long this will last but I do know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it might take us a little while to get there, but we will get there.

Guest Artist: Payne - Notes from the Inside #4

Payne, my dearest friend who has mild autism and OCD once again nails it.

NOTES FROM THE INSIDE #4

I heard on the news the other day that a health official was being interviewed. In the interview he said something along the lines of that people would listen to Kendall Jenner before they listen to someone like him, which is why people on social media need to talk about how important it is to shelter in place, wash your hands, use a face mask, all the stuff everybody has been saying to do.

I agree, while I know that not everyone will do these things, we still need to take precautions and do all the things health officials tell us to do to slow and eventually stop the spread of the virus.

I also think that if our government had taken this virus seriously from the beginning, we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in right now and have to do these things. The government has downplayed this virus for so long and that has caused our country to almost come to a standstill. If they had taken this virus seriously we would be safer and less panicked as we are now, but this is the way things are at the moment and because of that we need to come together.

We need to listen to what health care officials say and do what we can to slow and eventually stop the spread of the virus. I know it can be tough to do all these things but the more people do them, the healthier we can get.

When this pandemic is over however, we cannot forget this virus and all the suffering it caused, otherwise we won’t be ready for when and if the next one hits.

Guest Artist: Payne - Notes from the Inside #3

Payne, my dearest friend who has mild autism and OCD sent me another note.  Once again, this extraordinary young man blew me out of the water.  If more people were like him, there would be toilet paper on the shelves and masks in hospitals and policies in this country that put people first.

NOTES FROM THE INSIDE #3

 

Fred Rogers once said “Look For The Helpers.”

It seems to me that people are looking for more negative things to say about this situation than they are positive things. I get it, these are scary times and it does seem that every other country in the world is taking care of the virus situation before we can, but there are many things that are happening in response to this virus.

I heard about professional athletes organizing drives to get food to help victims of the virus and celebrities and other people getting together to help people through this time. Yes we are going through some bad times right now, especially with China and South Korea seeming to get a handle on this situation faster than our country can, but even in the darkest of times there are glimmers of hope to be found, we just have to know where to look for them.

Now more than ever we need to “Look For The Helpers” and perhaps even become helpers ourselves, because when we work together and help each other we can get through any panic and any dark time like the one we are currently in.

When it is over and this virus is gone however, we cannot forget what happened because of it, how many people have suffered, gotten sick or died because of this virus because if we do, we won’t be prepared for when and if this happens again.