The other day, I came across a shirt online that said something along the lines of, “My book is calling and I must go.”

If there were ever a shirt I needed to own during this pandemic, this is it. While things outside of our homes are anything but ordinary, I have found my own escape to normal times through the pages of some bestsellers over the last several months. From popular political tell-alls, to your run-of-the-mill romance, I’ve been ticking novels off of my seemingly-never-ending list of things to read at (for me) record-breaking pace. Some friends and I even started a book club (recently finishing our fourth book: The Nickel Boys).

Through the pages of these books, I have lived in Paris, off the coast of Maine, in the desert and on top of mountains. I’ve celebrated Christmas and Kwanzaa, and I’ve been on the solving end of some high-profile cases. In these worlds, things have been normal. People, like us, are hugging, shaking hands, going to concerts and living ordinary lives, fictional or otherwise.

Immersing myself into their stories has provided a respite from reality. Turning each page (or, really, clicking through to the next page on my Kindle), I dive deeper and deeper into this alternate world, full of normalcy and status quo.

While my own routine has been disrupted, I have been longing for the ordinary. I’d like to go have a happy hour with my friends, take a vacation with my new husband, or sit down with people in our community one-on-one for interviews again. I’m grateful for my own health and the health of my family, but I’m simply tired.

So, I’ll wrap myself up in my Snuggie on these cooler evenings, open up my e-reader, and go to all the places that we can’t right now. But first, I’m ordering that shirt.

 “Sniff.” You smell that? It’s almost fall, which means cooler weather, shorter days, and, this year, virtual learning. Never in my wildest imagination would I have dreamed up a scenario where my son would be starting high school at home, likely in sweatpants and socks, on his computer.

I’m nervous for our kids. The little ones, whose memories of beginning school will be of zoom meetings and muting themselves, are probably the most affected by this, and they don’t even know any different. I know I personally have been struggling with things; I can’t imagine what the kids are feeling.

This year has been crazy, right? And we are seemingly still in the thick of the craziness. But, amid all of the unknown and the flat-out weird, there’s been a lot of really amazing things, too. Our police and fire departments have found new and unique ways to serve our community. Neighbors have stepped up to help neighbors. Churches have discovered that the building is just one vessel for their ministries. It’s been interesting and fascinating to watch the transformations happen in every facet of our lives.

We weren’t prepared. Our schools weren’t ready. Our lives were busy and planned and scheduled to the max. If this pandemic has taught me anything, it’s been to slow down; take a breath and just let things happen as they will. I’ve learned that I can’t control everything in my world, as much as I want to, and that’s okay. I’ve been spending a lot more time at home, with my family, and that’s worth all of it.

So, as fall approaches, and the weather turns cooler, I’ll breathe it all in with a smile on my face and warmth in my heart. This, too, shall pass. It’s all going to be okay.

 I’ve heard it said that the best writers are also avid readers. While writers don’t necessarily take ideas from other writers, they may glean a phrase or a word here and there that they wouldn’t always come up with on their own.

I’m a big reader. I can’t remember a time where I wasn’t in the middle of a book; be it a novel, a memoir, or both at the same time. I love reading on my Kindle, and have mastered the art of downloading books for free from our own Mid-Continent Public Library. If it’s on the best sellers list, chance are I have it on mine, too.

Recently, Mid-Continent Public Library hosted their annual Legacy Luncheon, held virtually this year due to COVID-19. As part of the ticket price this year, library supporters also received a signed copy of Alex George’s latest novel, The Paris Hours.

Without giving away too much (because if you’re a reader, you should put this book on your list), the story follows four ordinary people in the extraordinarily beautiful backdrop of Paris in the late 1920s. Readers follow along with an artist, a journalist, a puppeteer and a maid during a 24-hour period, each living separate lives, yet all are connected in ways in which the author brilliantly brings them together at the end.

George also happened to be Mid-Continent’s keynote speaker this year, and in his speech, he spoke of coming to terms with having “two first names.” When he was a young boy, growing up in England, he visited his own library often. One day, he lost his library card. After searching and searching, he returned to the library with his mother to ask for a replacement card.

The librarian, who George said was very stern and unforgiving with him previously, looked at him sheepishly and informed him that his card had been wrongfully filed under George Alexander, instead of Alex George. Thus, his first, but likely not last, encounter with having two first names.

George is a masterful storyteller. His writing style is one which takes you on a beautiful journey as he artfully describes each scene in the story. I read The Paris Hours over the weekend; but, if you have the time, I’d recommend reading it in a day, if for no other reason than to go on a little vacation to France with some ordinary people who, at the end, will leave you wanting more.

Though he’s originally from England, George now resides in Columbia, MO, where he owns an independent bookstore, Skylark Bookshop, located on 9th Street downtown. Also an attorney, he runs a law firm in Columbia.

 Slow down. Why are we in such a hurry?

This week, a Grandview resident stopped by my office and let me know that she has seen an increase in vehicles speeding down her street. Bennington Avenue in Grandview, in her mind, has become a racetrack, with cars, trucks and the like zipping and zooming down the residential neighborhood. Signs posted indicate a maximum of 25 mph; however, she said she rarely sees that limit obeyed.

It’s not just on Bennington, either. I’ve seen this on Main Street, down side streets, and on the highways. People seem to be late for something, all of the time. I’ve learned that just to keep from getting tailgated, I have to go with the flow of traffic. Sometimes, that’s a good five or ten miles per hour over the speed limit.

In a time when more people are at home, and our kids are in the middle of an extended summer break before “heading back” to classes in September, I think we all need to remember to have a bit more patience in our daily tasks.

When you get behind the wheel of a car, you are responsible for everything that happens with that vehicle. Slow down. There’s no need to rush. You’ll get to your destination when you get there, safely and securely, if we all just slowed down.

 When I began high school, I walked through the doors feeling overwhelmed and excited. The next four years, I remember thinking, would mold and shape me into an adult. And, surely I’d leave high school knowing everything there was to know about life, and about being a civilized, productive member of society. Big dreams for a skinny 13-year-old girl with braces and pimples, indeed. But, those were real dreams, and I was determined to see them through.

I’m convinced that my son and his friends have the same thoughts I had nearly 23 years ago (has it really been THAT long?). However, the beginning of high school will look much different for my son. There won’t be a chance to walk through the front door on that first day, nervously navigating hallways that don’t yet make sense. Though, undoubtedly, it’ll be an unforgettable start to his high school career.

The uncertainty is not easy for any of us, but I think our kids are being impacted the most by this pandemic. It’s hard to explain to my 14-year-old what to expect from day to day when I don’t really have a clear answer myself. Things are changing constantly to where, well, there is no constant. What is happening today in our community can completely change tomorrow. And, somehow, we’re supposed to be prepared and know how to respond.

Michael wants to be in school. He wants to start conditioning and weightlifting for the wrestling season. He needs to see his friends and he does better work when he has a good rapport with his teachers. To say he was disappointed that his freshman year is going to start virtually would be an understatement. When you’re a teenager, the world revolves around you, so it’s not easy to gain the perspective needed to face a pandemic, especially when you’ve spent the majority of the last five months in the confines of home.

As his mom, though, I’m breathing a small sigh of relief, knowing he will be safe and healthy at home. But, I’m also sad for him and for the memories he will forever have of freshman year. None of this is ideal, and none of this was planned. I’m hopeful that life can return to normal, if for no other reason than so our kids can experience normal again. Homecoming dances, student council elections, Friday night football games and everything else that comes with high school, those are the memories I want my son to have.

High school years were some of the best of my life. I want the same for my son, after we get through this crazy start.

 We’re over halfway through with 2020. I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to breathe a little bit easier knowing, well, hoping, that maybe we’re also over halfway through this pandemic, too. I think the uncertainty is what is scariest when it comes to COVID-19.

As I sat down to write my column this week, I told my mom that I was just feeling “blah” about things. She said, “So, write about that, then.” This year is just that: blah. I’m not really sure how else to describe it.

Like most of you, I’ve spent a lot of time by myself over these last several months. In my office, I get a lot more done when there are little distractions. But, it can get awfully lonely, too. Luckily, I am able to go home to my family each day, but I know that’s not the case for all of you.

As we’re spending time alone, sometimes it can be stressful to even turn on the television. The evening newscasts make me sad, especially as the number of homicides in our area increases day after day. Coupled with the number of cases of COVID-19 on the rise, it seems like a recipe for disaster for our community.

It’s not all been doom and gloom, though. Throughout the last few months, I have seen people come together in ways that have uplifted my own spirit. Through Black Lives Matter, we have witnessed new breakthroughs in equality. I have seen neighbors helping neighbors, whether they’ve placed groceries at doorsteps or helped with lawn care. From honoring our graduating classes to honoring our first responders, our community is strong and loving.

There’s an old quote from Fred Rogers that I found years ago online. It reads: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Mrs. Rogers was right. There are always helpers, no matter how dire the circumstances may seem. We can always find people doing extraordinary things if we open our eyes and seek them out.

I hope that throughout the shut downs, the protests, the pandemic and the uncertainty, you have had some helpers in your own world.

COVID-19. Coronavirus. PPE. N-95. Social distancing. Flatten the curve. Community spread. Just a handful of months ago, if these terms were said to me, I’d probably be confused. Now, though, they have all since become household words. In the world of news writing, we call these “buzzwords,” meaning just the word itself can conjure up a specific time, item or event.

Not unlike trends of the past, the buzzwords tend to come and go with the cycle of the news. I have a feeling that these words might be staying past their welcome, though.

This pandemic has been confusing. I don’t know how else to describe it, and maybe that’s my own buzzword for COVID-19: confusing. It seems none of the folks we typically rely on to keep us informed can agree on things surrounding this virus. The CDC, WHO, even FOX and CNN, are all seemingly on different pages at times. It can be hard to keep up.

With all of the misinformation and contradicting messages, we, the public, seem to be the last to know what’s going on. From one city to the other, the rules on reopening might look different. Living so close to the state line, we see that from state to state, the opinions on what phases of opening we should be in can differ greatly.

Masks aren’t necessary. Masks will stop the spread. Tests available only for those showing symptoms. Everyone can get tested. Do this. Don’t do that. Wait, let’s go back to doing this again. No, never mind. It’s left a lot of us shaking our heads, wondering what we should be doing to keep ourselves and our loved ones healthy.

Are we recovering from the pandemic? Is herd immunity a thing? It’s hard to tell, with more testing available all the time, and with distancing becoming shorter and shorter between us. The one thing I do know is this: my own curve is certainly not flattening with all of the social distancing taking place. Much like the “freshman 15” people experience when heading off to college, we can call this the “COVID-19.”

For up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 and what we should be doing here locally, I recommend www.jacohd.org for those not in Kansas City proper, and www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health for KCMO residents. It’s confusing, but if we work together (and wear our masks when out in public), hopefully we can make these buzzwords a thing of the past.