Kenn Crawford - The Covid Chronicles: Personal Pandemic Stories from Around the World: 2020 (non-fiction, memoirs, poems, stories)

The Covid Chronicles

Personal Pandemic Stories from Around the World

Kenn Crawford

By Kenn Crawford

Crawford House Publishing

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

Copyright 2020 Kenn Crawford

Cover Design by Luke Romyn

www.lukeromyn.com

all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, scanning, recording, or any other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews as permitted by Canadian and international copyright law. the Individual contributors to this body of work have granted us unlimited non-exclusive rights to include their original work in this collection. The contributors retain full copyright ownership and rights to their original works as applicable to their country of origin.

ISBN: 978-1-989911-02-0

The opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors and should not be confused with those of the author or Crawford-House Publishing.

The problem with the world today is that people think it will never happen to them, but these days, the worlds not what it used to be. People learning about other people experiences and coping skills is important. Kenn Crawfords idea to put this book together would be very beneficial to peoples views on quarantine and their coping skills. Its good that we can learn about other peoples experiences through this quarantine - it may give us some guidance in our own experiences.

~ Dawn Wells, Station Manager, 99.9 FM

It is beginning to seem like a lot of people who love waving the flag cannot grasp the idea that exercising freedom comes with the obligation to exercise civic responsibility, and that patriotism only extends to rights afforded them as individuals rather than the obligation to protect the rights of others.

~ Jay Smith, award-winning author, audio dramatist, and podcaster

Dear Reader,

I believe what many people need during these stressful times is to hear from people who feel just like they do, which is why I decided to compile this book of personal pandemic stories.

We each have a story to tell, and when we share our stories, our thoughts and even our fears, it reminds those of us who need to hear it the most that even though we may not be physically together, you are not alone!

Putting this book together was an eye-opening experience to say the least So many people have been hurt by COVID-19, either physically, emotionally, or financially. Sometimes all three.

I have read many posts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn by people who are too scared to even go to the grocery store. Every day, the news shows us images of long lineups at grocery stores; the one thing we all need is food, but when getting it could cost you your life, it really puts the severity of this pandemic into perspective.

I can relate.

Every six weeks I go for Remicade to help keep my Crohns in check; one of the side-effects of that treatment is it leaves me with a compromised immune system. This means people like me who have underlying medical conditions are more likely to have complications from COVID-19 that could possibly lead to death.

This makes doing something as simple as grocery shopping or getting medication is more than a bit worrisome its life threatening.

I am lucky because my fianc goes out for essential supplies, but so many others, especially our seniors, do not have that luxury. For them, even with curbside pickup, many simply cannot afford to have it picked up or delivered.

Needless to say, when I see people post that The coronavirus is not that big of a deal or Dont worry about it, just go about your life as you normally would, all while disobeying the Stay at Home directives by Health Authorities, not to mentioned the sheer amount of misinformation theyre posting and sharing online, it doesnt sit well with me.

These reckless people, who most likely are relatively healthy and know that they will probably recover from COVID-19 without any major issues, are sadly showing the rest of the world just how selfish some people can be.

The stories that I have collected tell me that the reckless and selfish are far reaching

This book contains over two dozen stories, poems and song lyrics from seven different countries we all seem to have the same problem - the reckless and selfish few are endangering the lives of the many.

It has been explained during daily updates, in news broadcasts, and online time and time again that the reasons for such drastic health measures and restrictions is not just for their own personal safety, but to keep them from infecting others; namely those among us who are the most vulnerable, like our elderly - it saddens me that the human race seems to have lost its humanity.

The scariest part about this pandemic is not just that the coronavirus is an invisible enemy, but that the fate of so many lie in the hands of people who recklessly and selfishly ignore the precautionary health measures put in place to keep that invisible enemy from entering our personal space.

It saddens me that the one time we needed to stand together by staying socially separated, we are failing.

Putting this book together and reading these stories has taught me that Im not alone - the vast majority of people feel the same as I do: We are cautiously scared, but we are hopeful.

We know that despite the selfish actions of the reckless few, this too shall pass.

No one really knows exactly what our new normal will be when this pandemic is finally behind us, but we know we will overcome it together by staying socially separated, yet socially connected in heart and in spirit.

I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I have.

Cheers,

Kenn

Stay safe, stay strong,
and as the Premier of Nova Scotia says

Stay the Blazes Home!

by Jessie Renee

I see you

You see me

I see a scared person

You see me as someone in a store who shouldnt be

I see you browsing books to keep occupied

I see you buying makeup to feel beautiful

I see you purchasing more than you really need

But you only think you see me

I don't see my children and family

I see no hugs in my near future

You only see the lack of sleep on my face

But you dont really see me

I see your stress, your fear

I see your pain

Because I do see you

But did you ever really see me?

Im scared

Scared for family, for my friends

Scared for everyone I see and who sees me

Most of all, were all scared of what we cannot see

To all the truck drivers, grocery store workers, pharmacists, cooks, postal workers, bus drivers, cleaners, cashiers, mechanics, cabbies, vendors and small business owners, volunteers and the entertainers who share their music and their art to help ease the pain of loneliness and boredom, and to all the Unsung Heroes who continue to go to work every day, we are all sending you a virtual hug and a giant THANK YOU for all that you do to make life just a little easier for the rest of us during these trying times.