The COVID-19 Diaries
COVID-19 Diaries - Personal Reflections book cover
The COVID-19 Diaries - Personal Reflections
Have you created a log of your thoughts and activities during the pandemic? Do you just hope to forget all the challenges and heartaches of the past two years? The Saltwater Writers felt it was important to make a record of what life has been like during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have written both poetry and prose to express their feelings and make a record of how they have dealt with the challenges of quarantines, masks, vaccines, cancelled trips and isolation. Initially their creations were just shared among their 11 members, at weekly meetings of the group, and with the Saltwater Unitarian Universalist Church, as a weekly newsletter column, but those items have now been compiled into a book, available through Amazon. The newsletter pieces have been supplemented with news headlines and illustrations to remind readers what the current events were at the time the various items were composed.
The book has the bargain price of $7, plus tax and shipping, and is worth purchasing as a reminder of what so many of us have experienced since January of 2020, but the poems and stories included in the book might also give you encouragement to write down your own experiences to share with friends and family or to serve as a reminder of what life was like during this challenging time in history.
The COVID-19 Diaries might also provide an incentive to participate in a writing group yourself. I joined the Saltwater Writers in July of 2020, learning of the group when my church began presenting summer worship services jointly with other congregations. Through that collaboration, a friend told me about the Writers Group and suggested I join. The existing members, some of whom have been together for over 20 years, welcomed me as a participant. Since their once in-person meetings had transitioned to Zoom, it didn’t matter that I lived miles away from their original meeting location.
My transition to membership was eased by the fact that I already knew three of the members from prior activities, but until that summer I did not know anything about the Writers Group or that they were members. Despite these connections, I was intimidated to be joining such an experienced group. I’d previously participated in two week-long writing workshops as part of a creative arts camp (in preparation for starting my blog), but had never been in a similar group and did not know their expectations or activities. The existing members included already published authors and former writing teachers, triggering occasional flashbacks to frustrating writing assignments I’d labored over as a youth. However, I quickly found that my anxieties were misplaced. This group has only been supportive and helpful – no grades and no discouraging remarks.
Participating in the Saltwater Writers Group has motivated me to complete more essays to post to my blog, Common Sense Reflections. I have also summoned the courage to write a poem (now on my blog) and two installments of a serialized novella about love in COVID times that the group will soon publish. The poem and the novella were a big challenge for me because I had never attempted to write fiction, other than one unsuccessful attempt in high school, and my poetry-writing experience was limited to one very awkward assignment completed as a 6th Grader.
I encourage you to purchase The COVID-19 Diaries and consider giving it as a gift to friends. All net proceeds from the sale of the books will go to the Saltwater UU Church, located in Des Moines, WA. You’ll find two pieces from me included, plus a photo of me and some of my COVID-era walking buddies.