By Katherine Schneider, for the CVPost
Six months into the second year of the pandemic, we seem to be heading toward a modified closing down.
Even with half the county vaccinated, the delta variant is surging. I’ve had a recent COVID test because of a close exposure; fortunately, negative results.
It wasn’t easy to find a friend to take me to the test—not everyone wants to transport a possibly COVID-laden friend in their car. When I got to the test location, there was the usual silliness of talking to my sighted driver repeatedly instead of talking to me, even though I answered the questions each time.
My driver had not experienced this before and ranted afterwards about “I had to look away to stop them from looking at me for answers.”
Meetings staying virtual
People in charge of meetings who were considering going in-person have mostly decided to stay virtual, which is a relief to me. People are volunteering less help, like rides, whether because of COVID fears or just plain being worn out from a year of shut down, followed by a summer of whiplash (open up/backtrack to masking).
Even though there’s no finish line, thoughts are turning to post-COVID life. Louise Penny’s newest novel, The Madness of Crowds paints a bleak but believable picture of post-pandemic life. A charismatic leader proposes widespread euthanasia of disabled and elderly, so they won’t have to “suffer” when the next pandemic comes around and because they’re expensive to take care of.
A few months ago, I remember reading hopeful predictions that we’d come out of the pandemic kinder and gentler. I think Penny’s prediction may be closer to the truth.
I’m hanging in, going to meetings and preparing presentations for conferences on topics like “All Are Welcome: Faith Communities and Diversity” and “Fostering Resilience for Activists.” Calvin, my Seeing Eye dog, keeps me somewhat sane with his morning offering of at least two games of chase before we settle down at the computer to work.
A sign of hope
A sign of hope was the recent city/county listening session about how to spend the $34 million of federal money we can have for recovery from the pandemic, to be used for programs, services and infrastructure. On a beautiful late summer evening, over 60 people gathered at Haymarket Plaza to hear speakers from the arts community, nonprofits like Boys and Girls clubs, people concerned about Lake Altoona and Lake Eau Claire and those providing services to the homeless, among others.
Both city and county committees will now have the hard jobs of soliciting specific proposals and deciding which ones to fund. The city has a website for input at www.eauclaire.wi.gov/arpa and the county has a survey on its website www.co.eau-claire.wi.us, if you want to offer suggestions.
The hopeful thing to me was that government wants to hear from citizens and about 30 citizens came forward to speak and share ideas. More than two-thirds of the city and county elected officials were at the session to listen.
Together we can do this hard thing.
NOTE: Kathie Schneider is a member of the Eau Claire County Board and will take part in its discussions and decisions about the distribution of the county’s share of federal recovery funds.