On The Road to Rebuild and Repair
/The past several weeks have brought a whirlwind of change - if you haven’t felt it, you must be living under a rock. I title this post “Rebuild and Repair” for many reasons, the most obvious is my continuing theme of working our way through the pandemic. The most challenging, is the building momentum of the current civil rights movement. I say challenging because so many find it difficult to discuss. I just finished watching “ABC 7 Chicago presents: Do You Hear Me? A Discussion about Race” hosted by my colleagues Evelyn Holmes and Will Jones. It left me inspired, motivated and hopeful.
It’s the third in our station’s digital town hall series of honest, heartfelt discussions about race. https://abc7chicago.com/society/abc-7-chicago-presents-do-you-hear-me--a-discussion-about-race/6241294/ Over the past few weeks the wind of change has been blowing furiously through the windy city. It has affected us personally and professionally. When did journalists become targets on a regular basis? Videographer/Photojournalist Ken Bedford was attacked and injured while covering the aftermath of looting in the South Shore.
In the midst of the civil unrest, let’s not forget we’re still dealing with a pandemic. Close friends have lost family to covid, and although it wasn’t corona virus that took the life of former colleague Dick Johnson, at 66, he was too young to be taken away from us.
The past weeks have also brought many positives - my husband surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of roses in my “Kitchen Studio” on our 15th anniversary!
I got to have some fun with my “Virtual Weekender!”
Summer-like weather gave us more opportunities to do things (safely) outdoors!
As more places reopened under Phase 3 of Restore Illinois, we cautiously ventured out, the most ambitious was a weekend in Wisconsin and a stop at the outlet mall. We, of course, wore masks everywhere. At this point, it serves double-duty as a fashion accessory. Gotta have a sense of humor!
Still working from home, we at ABC 7 received notification that next week plans will begin to be laid out for some employees to return to the workplace. I still feel safe in the cocoon of my home workplace, but I miss the interaction with my work family and friends.. A brief taste of that (safe) interaction filled me with joy yesterday when we participated in a “Birthday Parade” for a dear friend. Many parked and got out of their cars and visited at a safe distance.
I head into the coming weeks with two goals: - -To stay safe during the pandemic as we head into the next phase of recovery. --To listen to what is happening around us, be observant, compassionate and helpful. As I heard the young people say in the town hall discussion on race, “I want to see justice. I want to see change. Speak your truth.” I may not be able to walk in your shoes, but I can walk by your side.
Take a cue from my fur family.