Fighting with the Corona Virus and Lessons from our Elders
Reflections of a child born in the 60’s and seeing that
our world needs to honor our elders and seniors, learning
from their lessons in life and what they tried to pass down
to each generation.
If you have grand parents and great grand parents talk to
them about their past lives and how they survived the
challenges we are about to face. Remember what they
tried to teach you and how to apply it to our current
present and future.
Sharing just a few thoughts and reflections from the
pandemic experiences. Thinking about my mother and
grandmother and their efforts to keep their homes
safe and clean, I realize that what they taught and other
grand and great grands are lost or ignored.
Since the early 80’s elders became old, not wise, they
became situations and circumstances by younger
generations and the media. They are now hindrances
not vessels of knowledge and wisdom.
Television shows like the Cosby Show displayed elders
as wise, successful and full of knowledge and life.
Today’s media shows them as sickly, in the grips of death
and disease. This is a dangerous false and ignorant lie.
I remember my mother and grandmother cleaning at
least once a year their homes with bleach, I remember
them “airing out” their homes during nice days outside,
I remember them telling us to wash our hands when
we come in from outside, to blow our nose with tissue
that they strategically placed around the house and
making us clean our rooms so that germs, bugs, viruses
would be hindered from taking place in their homes.
I remember them telling us to take our shoes off and
put them by the door so we would know where they are
and keep poop, dirt and other stuff off their “clean” floors
and carpets.
It is amazing how remembering them it seems they
were always cleaning and checking and cleaning and
wiping and fussing at us about what could happen.
Gradually it did change our minds, because my brother
and sister realized we did not get sick like some of our
friends, we did not have bathroom problems because
they made us eat veggies, drink water, take Castor Oil
which I still do today and even go for walks to move our
bowels so we can go to the bathroom.
We walked our dog for the same reason, but parents do
not do this with their kids and wonder why their kids struggle
with pooping. They cooked meals not just microwaved
stuff to be fast. And we did not have the option to say
what we did not like or did not want. Money was tight
like it will be very soon as a matter of fact it will be
tighter.
Parents will not have the options to allow their kids to
waste food just because they don’t want it and throw
it in the garbage can and then allow them to come back
10 or 20 minutes later saying their hungry again. I tried
that but it did not work. I had to wait either until morning
for breakfast or eat saltine crackers and drink water.
We did not have all the allergies and other respiratory
issues that so many have. I’m not saying that their way
was the best way, but our elders tried to teach us
something and too many of their lessons are
either forgotten or ignored.
I use to cringe when I hear moms and dads say that
they will never raise their kids how they were raise,
but many forget the lessons of common sense and
love. This is why so many youth, teens and young
adults do not know how to survive when trouble
comes, this is why so many run home and run from
challenges that will make them stronger, wiser and
embrace their faith harder and grow spiritually.
Cleaning my apartment with bleach today and
occasionally do air out my apartment. Remembering
how my mom and grandmother poured bleach into
the sinks, toilets and tub so they would not stink
and bugs crawl up the pipes. Remembering how
they sprayed the couch, drapes, curtains and pillows
with Lysol to kill germs, viruses and they would not
stink. Teaching us how to wash clothes and
prepare for hard times.
I remember my brother and sister and I being made
to help clean the house because we were being
taught to be responsible and accountable that
carries into adulthood.
Parents cannot afford to allow children to ignore
them when they are told what to do, they cannot
afford to be ignored when telling children to clean
their rooms or help clean the house.
Even the Bible references parents teaching,
leading, directing, educating, disciplining and doing
all these things in love with their children. Because
if they are not taught children will be the sadness
of their parents, returning home and bring their
own personal demons and devils into their
parents homes, when elder parents should be
living in peace, prayer and enjoying their senior
years.
As I age going into my 60’s, my personal views
we have grown to comfortable in our lives, our
minds, spirits and souls occasionally we
need a persecution on levels to wake us up and
see what the Lord is saying about the way we
live. No one is perfect, but we can all lean to
more direction and guidance in our lives.
The consequences are to dire not to change our
minds and use many of what our parents, grand,
great and even great great parents did and tried
to teach us.
No one should force us to wash our hands knowing
that thousands die already, not one should force us
to clean our homes, communities and cities because
illness, viruses, germs and diseases are already
growing. It is all of our responsibility not just the city,
government, white house, President, Vice President,
etc to make us do it. If that is the case then Star Wars
is not to far off where people are ruled with an iron fist.
The Federation of Star Trek is not to far in the future
when we have to be made to do things, dress alike,
follow orders and made to go to school and made to
learn. This is what is already happening. When these
changes are put in place do you really think it will go
back to normal? Do you really think that life as we
take for granted will be given back to us as it was before?
Going into my 60’s I wish my mother and
grandmother and even great grandmother were
available to talk to, to get more wisdom so I can
share with youth, teens and young adults to help
them get through the difficult times to come
because too many parents are themselves to young to
teach prayer, sacrifice, patience and in some cases
even the grandparents are too young to
understand this.
These observations are not judgments against
anyone, but our world will forever change, the elders
from the past have tried to teach each generation
how to sew, cook with what you have, clean
what-ever you call home, grow food in small gardens,
cook beans (legumes ) that are rich in fiber, minerals
and to share our overflow with others as a blessing
so we have more to receive from God to share
even more.
Never forget the lessons of the past because the
past will always repeat itself with increasing severity.
An Edit to this post….
I spoke of the women that helped shape life, but I
would be disrespectful to the men, grandfathers,
great grandfathers that took care of the
neighborhoods. That spent time with the kids that
did not have a father, men that were tired from
working, tired from spending time with their kids
and took time with other community kids.
I talk about the Uncle Bucks, the Uncle Charlies, The Uncles
that were there and helped the elderly, the sick and even
the homeless brother and sister that lived up the street or
in the abandoned building. The elderly man that gave to
homeless kids even though he was struggling himself.
The elderly husband and wife down or up the street that tried
to be kind to the neighborhood kids, but the kids laughed
at them and the parents did too.
The Uncles that took the kids to the park, that fixed things at
peoples houses and even drove people to the store or laundry
mat. Talking about the grandfathers tired from years of work,
labor and challenges, but still gave wisdom and knowledge
to the kids playing in the community.
Ironically there was a community group that did this called the
Black Panthers and others. Yes they were radical, but look at
the good they did with reading programs, food giveaways,
shopping for the elderly and even taking people to the doctors
or bringing the doctors to them.
So much has been provided with wonderful examples, but so much has
been lost in knowledge and wisdom. We are seeing the disconnections between neighborhoods, “regular people” and government, the lack of resources to help our elders and seniors. There is no time to complain,
but time to change and make a difference one person at a time,
one community at a time, one city at a time.
How can you easily spend 8 billion dollars on a virus and not be
accountable for those monies or take billions from our
military to build something of a wall that can change lives
with compassion and love. Closing boarders was done before
WWI and WWII look what happened and remember a wall
between Berlin!!
Families and children are hungry and homeless in this Great Nation.
Farmers are losing their farms, small businesses are closing forever,
fathers and mothers are afraid and stressed and their is no
compassion from so many leaders. Where are people receiving
relieve and help??
If you look at most disaster movies the majority shows that eventually
we will have to work together or perish together. We will have to look
past color, culture, racism, stereotypes, bias, traditions and isms and
skisms…
A virus does not care about color or culture, it does not care
about Democrat, Republican, Independent. It does not care
about age, generation, gender, language or intelligence.
It does several things, invades and kills..
How do we want our life to be remembered either alive or
dead our actions, in the next several years will tell as more
happens to test or faith, our love, our prayer life, our humanity,
our families and our eternal souls.
If you have been watching this virus is not the only event
globally, it is not the first and will not be the last. What have
you learned from your elders to prepare you, your families,
your communities and your leaders to prepare for
more to come?
Corona Virus Update
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