Let’s Talk, Candidly.

Hey guys,

I’ll be honest— it’s 8am, and I am frantically typing this blog post, as we make the long drive home, but instead of a post about chapbooks, I’m going to just talk about what’s been going on in my life recently.

Most of you all know that a tornado came through late Sunday night and destroyed most of our little town. Now, we are in the process of cleaning up and trying to rebuild, but also in the process of healing.

Just last week we were social distancing and trying to find toilet paper and hand sanitizer, but now, I can’t tell you how many people I’ve hugged and how many tears I’ve shed. It’s surreal to me because quarantine seems like a distant memory, but how are people supposed to isolate themselves when they’ve lost everything?

Our community, with no hesitation, has come together to heal and rebuild, and it’s inspiring, but also, quite concerning. I mean, on top of everything, people can’t afford to contract a deadly virus because they weren’t taking proper safety precautions, and my family and I are no exception. However, we’ve all been told to stay home for the last few months, but how can you stay home when you no longer have a home? It’s a dilemma that I’d never thought I’d have to question, and it’s almost if natural disaster and destruction have taken precedence over the pandemic.

Priorities and level-headedness have gone out the window— taken away by trauma and tragedy. So, where do we go from here?

Personally, I was fortunate enough to only have some minor roof damage to my house and no power for a week. However, we lost the roof and ceiling of our family business; consequently, causing us to lose most everything inside the building too. It’s been quite emotional for me, especially because I was raised there, took my first steps there, learned how to read and write there; it’s not just a place or a source of income for us. It’s a part of us. It’s home, and to see your home and childhood memories in ruins is devastating.

However, what’s more devastating is that the damage depicted in those photos are so minuscule in comparison to others’ damage. There are entire houses that were blown away, as if there was nothing there to begin with. It’s incredible, and all we can do is pray.

Usually, I’m not one to talk about things like this, especially on a public platform because I never want to relay the message that I am seeking attention and/or pity, but I think that in the time we’re in, things like this need to be talked about. It has really put things into perspective, especially during quarantine when most of us have been complaining about staying home and being bored. And, I’ll admit, at first I was resentful because this all felt like a big punishment, as if cancelling school and all events weren’t already bad enough, but my perspective has changed. If this had happened at a normal time, things would be tremendously harder. I mean, I would still be in school, worried about being at home, not being able to focus. Business would be bad because we would’ve had to shut down abruptly, but since it’s happened in the middle of all this, business was already pretty slow and we were only doing take-out. So, in a way, it’s kind of a blessing. It’s a fresh start and a new beginning.

I planned on posting about chapbooks for National Poetry Month this week, but since I am currently working on my second one for my Mixed Media final, I thought I’d just share that next week. Thank you all for being patient with me during this transition. <3

Author: Maleigh Crespo

Maleigh is a senior literary and an iced coffee enthusiast. She enjoys writing nonfiction and poetry but hopes that her affliction for short fiction will one day subside. In her free time, she can be found scrolling through Pinterest or with her beloved cat, Manny. View all posts by Maleigh Crespo