Connecticut Green Living

I caught this substitute teaching. I have a weird feeling in my chest, sort of a cool sensation, but I can breathe. I came down with a sore throat Thursday, tested negative for Covid , then negative again Friday. But after heavy congestion and a hoarse voice, my brother said, "You sound like me when I had it, but maybe it was from being out in the cold." I had waited 25 minutes for a bus when it was about 17 degrees out. I would not find out till this morning, though, that I'm Covid-positive. After avoiding this successfully since we first learned of the novel virus, my time had come. I even predicted it on New Year's Eve in my annual vision collage, with a single word "Covid." I knew that as a substitute teacher in New Haven, in classroom after classroom with largely unmasked kids and staff and no regular testing, it would only be a matter of time. Is this how we have to live? If the schools were testing kids regularly with rapid tests and providing staff u...

These are difficult times. We who are fortunate enough to have our health owe it to others to reduce viral transmission. That means allieviating unnecessary risk. So in that vein, I have taught myself a thing or two in “lockdown”: 1. I have twice cut my own hair. Yesterday’s cut was even more dramatic than the last. This time I cut about five inches off to make a bob. I did it with two quick, basic cuts, one on each side at an angle, then trimmed the stragglers. Sure, I haven't seen it from the back. It may be completely crooked, but honestly, does it matter? My GP was not impressed that I thought I was mitigating Covid risk, but did say during our telemed sesh that I was looking good. 2. Embarrassing to admit, but I didn't know what Bluetooth really did or what a VPN was. I now (basically) know, even though I haven't figured out why Netflix doesn't want me to have my (Norton) VPN on while watching and I can never seem to turn it off completely. 3. Zoom with a virtual...

For good reason, I have feared going out into the world over the past three and a half months. Yesterday I took three bus rides and on the second, I could have had my life put in jeopardy. I will only know if I come down with COVID-19 symptoms or get tested to find out. Here is what happened: I was on the Coastal Link bus here in Connecticut, gazing out the window, when an unstable and quite vocal disheveled character wandered aboard in front of Stop 'n Shop. He sat down and then got up and started to sing (badly) out the window. This immediately rattled me so I mentioned it to the driver, who called out but then ignored him. As I gazed out the window trying to calm my nerves, I suddenly heard something and turned to my left. He was at my side, crazed One-Flew-Over-The-Cuckoo's-Nest-like, cackling and writhing just inches from where my nostrils could absorb someone's viral droplets. "AAAAHHHH!!!! GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM ME!" I shrieked. He toppled backward, as if...

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in New York has issued a very helpful statement addressing the mental health challenges we all face during this health crisis. They state: "Right now, many of us are worried about COVID-19 or Coronavirus . We may feel helpless about what will happen or what we can do. When things feel uncertain or when we don’t generally feel safe, it’s normal to feel stressed. Stress can be a normal reaction, but sometimes it can also take a toll on our mental health. We don’t always know it’s happening. You might feel more on edge than usual, angry, helpless or sad. You might notice that you are more frustrated with others or want to completely avoid any reminders of what is happening. For those of us who already struggle with our mental wellness, we might feel more depressed or less motivated to carry out our daily activities. It’s important to note that we are not helpless in light of current news events. We can always choose our respon...