RESPONDING TO CORONA-VIRUS WITH COMMUNITY
MY WIFE WAS COMPLEMENTING ME THIS MORNING FOR STAYING HOME FOR THE PAST THREE WEEKS!
MY WIFE WAS COMPLEMENTING ME THIS MORNING FOR STAYING HOME FOR THE PAST THREE WEEKS!
I WAS BACK AT WORK TWO WEEKS AFTER HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY, BUT THIS CORONA-VIRUS HAS HUMBLED ME INTO A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THINGS. I MUST LEARN TO OPERATE FROM A 21ST CENTURY POSITION AND THAT THE I-PHONE AND COMPUTER ARE MY NEW FRIENDS.
FOR THOSE WHO KNOW ME, YOU KNOW I AM MORE COMFORTABLE BEING ON THE FRONT LINE DURING A CRISIS, BUT SISTA CORONA SAID, “NOT THIS TIME BUDDY!!!!!!!”
I DON’T THINK MOST OF US UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE OF CHANGE IN OUR CURRENT SITUATION AND HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED FOR NOW, AND THE FUTURE. ONCE THE DUST IS SETTLED, THE NORM AS WE KNOW IT WON’T EXIST. AS THE GREAT SAM COOK ONCE SANG: A CHANGE IS GOING TO COME…SO GET READY!
THE ONE THING CLEAR AT THIS MOMENT IS TO LISTEN TO THE DOCTORS AND SCIENCE, PRACTICE AND ADHERE TO THE SAFETY ADVICE, AND KEEP YOUR SOCIAL DISTANCE, PLUS BE SAFE ..
MY INSTINCT, AT THIS TIME, IS TO GO OUT AND FIX THE PROBLEM. (NOT THIS TIME BUDDY JONES).
SO THE QUESTION IS: WHAT CAN I DO (NOW)?
I AM ATTEMPTING TO GATHER THOSE I KNOW ALL UNDER THE SAME TENT. EASIER SAID THAN DONE. IT IS A CHALLENGE TO GET EIGHT PEOPLE TO AGREE ON THE SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM AND IT GETS MORE INTENSE WITH EIGHT ORGANISATIONS. BUT THE CURRENT TIME REQUIRES WE ALL STEP OUTSIDE OUR PERSONAL COMFORT ZONES, AS THIS CORONAVIUS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY VIRUS. IT KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES, COLOR, OR CULTURE .
FORTUNATELY, THINGS ARE SHAPING UP. TOTA.WORLD HAS STEPPED TO THE PLATE TO COLLABORATE WITH US, THERE ARE IMMEDIATE GOALS, AS WELL AS SHORT AND LONG-RANGE GOALS FOR THIS “COMING TOGETHER”:
1. FEED AND PROTECT THE NEEDY
2. FIND A METHOD TO ALLOW US ALL TO UNITE FOR A COMMON PURPOSE AS ONE UNIT
3. NO ONE HAS THE ANSWER TO THIS CRISIS AT THIS TIME, BUT WE ALL CAN PREPARE OURSELVES FOR NOT RETURNING TO THE NORM AS WE KNOW IT
STEP ONE IS NOT DIFFICULT FOE ME. FOR THE LAST 43 YEARS I WAKE UP TO SEE LORI, MY PARTNER, STANDING BY MY SIDE AND I PLAN TO KEEP IT THAT WAY. WE BOTH FEEL SECURE WE CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THIS CORONA-VIRUS WITH WHAT WE HAVE, FRIENDS INCLUDED.
STEP TWO IS UNDERSTANDING WHAT AND WHO AM I RESPONSIBLE TO? I HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR 65 YEARS THAT I AM MY BROTHER’S KEEPER AND I FEEL THAT WAY AT THIS MOMENT. FOR THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS I HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO PRACTICE WHAT I PREACH.
I HAVE MADE CONTACT WITH MANY INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATION IN THE ATTEMPT TO ALLOW US ALL TO W0RK UNDER ONE NETWORK DURING THIS CORONA-VIRUS ATTACK. TOTA.WORLD HAS OFFERED TO SHARE SOME 21TH CENTURY TOOLS TO HELP OUR CAUSE TO DO THIS AS A UNIT, WITHOUT LOOSING OUR OWN IDENTITY.
AT THIS TIME, I AM WORKING WITH EIGHT ORGANIZATIONS TRYING TO FIGURE THE MOST EFFICIENT METHOD TO OPERATE. I AM OPERATING UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF BUDDY JONES AND FRIENDS. WE ARE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING BUT IT’S GOING TO TAKE SOME HARD WORK TO PULL IT ALL TOGETHER.
MEANWHILE SMALL GROUPS OF FRIENDS HAVE MOVED FORWARD.
1. DOUG HURT HAS PURCHASED AND DELIVERED FOOD TO MORE THAN 10 NEEDY FAMILIES.
2. RICH & BETH RUMERY HAVE DONATED TO FOOD LINK IN OUR NAME.
3. SEAN SMITH (COOK) AND SEVERAL OTHERS HAVE SENT CHECKS SAYING: “DO THE RIGHT THING.”
4. THERE IS A COALITION OF TOTA.WORLD (MIKE FELTS), BUDDY AND FRIEND'S (BUDDY JONES), WOMEN OF VISION (PAULA MASSEY), POSITIVE BLACK MENS ASSOCIATION (DAN FONTENOT), ALLENSWORTH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION (JAMES BANKS ), TULARE COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN (GYWEN AYTMAN), NEW LIFE CHURCH (LARRY DODSON), AND MORE HAVE COMMITTED TO WORK TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE OF TAKING CARE OF THE NEEDY. OF COURSE, THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS.
WE ARE NOWHERE NEAR THE RESOLUTION OF THIS COMPLEX PROBLEM THIS VIRUS HAS PRESENTED US WITH, BUT OUR INTENT IS CLEAR AT THIS MOMENT: TAKE CARE OF THE NEEDY (FOOD) AND THE REST WILL FALL IN PLACE.
IF THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE THAT HAVE SOME POSITIVE INPUT, WE ARE OPEN TO YOUR INPUT. (MONEY WILL ALSO HELP!) YOU CAN CONTACT ME DIRECTLY THROUGH MY EMAIL, buddyjones24@yahoo.com, OR MY GROUP ON TOTA.WORLD (BUDDY JONES AND FRIENDS), OR THROUGH FACEBOOK.
LET’S DO THIS TOGETHER.
BUDDY JONES
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