OurTupelo

Color your way through Mississippi with me! Click below to download a coloring sheet of Wood College in Mathiston. 

For all of my coloring sheets, click here.

Don’t miss my next coloring sheet! Sign up below to receive it straight to your inbox.

Don’t miss my art lessons — live every Friday at noon.

The post A tour of Mississippi: Wood College appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Ole Miss athletics

Ben Williams, 74, was a remarkable football player and a history-making individual at Ole Miss. Here, he sacks Southern Miss quarterback Jeff Bower in a 1973 game.

Ole Miss athletics

Ben Williams

They called him Gentle Ben. But Jim Carmody, who coached history-making, trail-blazing Ben Williams at both Ole Miss and then the Buffalo Bills, would like to expound on that nickname.

“When Ben Williams was on the football field and the game was on, there was not one thing gentle about him,” Carmody said. “He annihilated people. On the field, he had more than a little meanness to him. At Ole Miss, he dominated everybody he faced. And I’ll tell you something else about Ben. He was a helluva guy, too, one of my favorite people I ever coached.”

Robert Jerry “Ben” Williams, the first African American to play football at Ole Miss and one of the greatest defensive players in the school’s history, died Monday. He was 65.

Rick Cleveland

Williams, from Yazoo City, and James Reed, a running back from Meridian, were the first two African Americans recruited to play football at Ole Miss in 1971. Williams, who possessed remarkable quickness and speed to go with his brute strength, was the first to play as a freshman in the 1972 season, just 10 years after James Meredith integrated the university amid a riot. Williams started as a freshman, made All-SEC the next three years, All-American as a senior.

And this will tell you so much about Ben Williams: As a senior, in 1976, he was voted “Colonel Rebel” – equivalent to Mr. Ole Miss – by the student body.

Ole Miss athletics

Ben Williams was elected Colonel Rebel in 1976. Here he is pictured with Barbara Biggs, who was Miss Ole Miss.

“His teammates loved him, his coaches loved him,” Carmody said. “Obviously, he was really popular on campus, as well. The only people who didn’t love him were the guys who had to play against him.”

Jackson dentist Roger Parkes was a junior football player at Ole Miss when Williams and Reed signed with the Rebels making the university the last in the SEC to break the color line in football.

“Both Ben and James and were good guys as well as players, but Ben was the first to make a big contribution on the field,” Parkes said. “He was just a physically superior dude. One man was not going to block him and sometimes two people couldn’t do it. He threw people around like rag dolls.”

As it turns out, Williams was more than qualified for the moment. Williams commanded respect – not only with his superior playing ability but with his calm off-the field demeanor and personality.

“People talk about his physical skills and how he threw people around,” Carmody said. “But he was a smart player, as well. He worked at it. He knew how to use his hands and forearms. He listened. He wanted to learn. He wanted to be as good as he could be. His effort was always outstanding.”

Carmody, who coached at Ole Miss twice, at Mississippi State twice and at Southern Miss twice (as head coach and defensive coordinator), said Williams and Jerald Baylis, a nose tackle at USM, were the two best college players he ever coached.

Williams made first team All American as a senior in 1976 and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round. Carmody joined him with the Bills in 1982 as the team’s defensive line coach. Williams made the Pro Bowl in 1983.

Williams and Carmody, both Mississippi Sports Hall of Famers, had a long-running joke between them.

“Ben always told me he made me the coach I was, and I guess there might have been some truth there,” Carmody said. “Players like Ben will make anyone a better coach. But I’d always remind him he didn’t make All American until I got him at Ole Miss and he didn’t make All-Pro until I went to Buffalo. We had a lot of laughs about that.”

Carmody says that during all the time he spent at Ole Miss – in two different tenures – he only went to one basketball game.

Ole Miss athletics

Ben Williams once wrestled a bear at halftime of an Ole Miss basketball game.

“Did you ever hear about the time Ben wrestled a real bear at halftime of a basketball game?” Carmody said. “That’s why I went to see that basketball game to see Ben wrestle that Bear.

“It was kind of funny really. Ben couldn’t get the bear down and the bear couldn’t put Ben down, either. It was kind of a tie. I talked to Ben afterward and he said, ‘Coach, you can’t believe how bad that bear smelled. It was awful.’ He said he never had anything to worry about, because the bear didn’t have any teeth, not a single tooth in his mouth.”

Carmody said Williams’ popularity with teammates carried over to the NFL and to the Buffalo Bills. Williams retired from the Bills in 1985 as the franchise’s all-time leader in sacks with 45.5.

“Ben was on the same defensive line with Fred Smerlas and Sherman White, two really great players,” Carmody said. “Jim Haslett, who later coached the Saints, was one of the linebackers.

“A bunch of those guys came to Jackson a few years ago to spend some time with Ben when he was having some health issues,” Carmody said. “We played golf and then had a big steak dinner at Tico’s. It was more or less a testimonial dinner for Ben. Most of those guys came a long way for that. That’s how much respect they had for Ben.”

The post RIP: Gentle Ben Williams, who broke football color line at Ole Miss, became ‘Colonel Rebel’ appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has faced the wrath of the Legislature, protestors and people who are mad him on Facebook during his press conferences. So instead of reading birthdays or graduates’ names to give them a boost, maybe he should just read his own name over and over to make himself feel better.

The post Marshall Ramsey: Tate’s pick-me-up appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today

Rep. Jason White speaks about legislation that would remove Gov. Tate Reeves’ spending authority over federal coronavirus stimulus money.

One day last week during a committee meeting he was chairing, Rep. Larry Byrd, R-Petal, looked over his shoulder to see the imposing figure of House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton.

“I had a stroke,” said Byrd, the non-assuming chair of the County Affairs Committee who was not expecting the House speaker to attend the meeting.

Gunn, still catching his breath after running up four flights of Capitol stairs after attending another meeting, pulled off his mask and gave the charge he was delivering to the multiple House committees meeting throughout the building. That charge was to look for ways to efficiently and quickly distribute $1.25 billion in federal funds to help people and entities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Legislative leaders had been fighting with Gov. Tate Reeves over who would have spending authority of the federal funds. Reeves had said legislators, stuck in a cumbersome process involving 174 members, would not be able to efficiently appropriate the funds in a timely manner to those in need.

Last week legislators worked to create and pass a program to provide $300 million in grants and funds to small businesses impacted by the coronavirus. While it took a better part of a week before the small business package was passed Wednesday after 11 p.m., it still was quite a legislative feat to create and pass a brand new program in a relatively short period of time considering the speed at which the legislative process normally operates.

Last week it was not unusual to see both presiding officers – Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Gunn – in committee meetings. It has not been unusual for Hosemann, in his first year as lieutenant governor, to attend committee meetings, but seldom if ever does the speaker participate in committee meetings – at least not before the task of legislators doling out that $1.25 billion in federal funds began.

After working together to prevent Reeves from single-handedly appropriating the funds, it would be reasonable to assume that the two presiding officers felt a bit of pressure and motivation to show they could deliver those funds in an efficient manner.

“We were motivated by the needs of the people of Mississippi and not anything else,” Hosemann contended when asked if he felt any pressure, especially since the fight over who would appropriate the funds was contentious at times.

Soon after it became apparent that the state would receive those funds – before Reeves proclaimed his sole authority to appropriate them – Hosemann said the legislative leaders began talking about where the money could do the most good.

“We recognized the urgency here was for small businesses,” said Gunn, calling them the backbone of the state’s economy.

House Ways and Means Chair Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, who was one of the key negotiators on the small business program, perhaps provided more insight.

“I don’t know about pressure…about the best way to motivate me, I am just speaking for myself…, is to tell me I can’t do it,” he said on Mississippi Today’s “The Other Side” podcast.

“When the governor made those statements that the Legislature is incapable of spending, appropriating these funds in an efficient manner where we could do some good and get the funds to the people who need them quickly, then I kind of made that a personal mission of mine to help ensure that happened. I don’t think I am alone in that regard. Through the leadership with the speaker and the lieutenant governor… we sat down and man, we went to work, and I think the byproduct is something we can all be proud of.”

Whether the Legislature was actually successful in developing the program, of course, will be borne out in the coming days and weeks.

While Reeves has praised the small business legislation, as of Monday afternoon he had not signed it into law yet. And it is not clear yet when funds will be available from the program, though, there has been speculation that once the bill becomes law $2,000 checks to small businesses forced to close by the coronavirus could be sent out in the next two weeks by the Department of Revenue.

In reality, though, the effort to efficiently spend the funds is just beginning for legislators. They have more than $900 million remaining in the fund to deal with coronavirus-related costs. The states have until the end of the year to spend the funds they received through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Security Act or the money will revert to the federal government.

Legislators have talked of the need to spend the funds to help hard hit cities and counties with their costs. They also want to improve distance learning opportunities, but legislators are learning that $1 billion will not solve all the Mississippi’s rural broadband issues.

Hospitals, which have struggled to deal with the costs of the pandemic and the fact other medical procedures have been put on hold to deal with the coronavirus, thus costing them needed revenue, also have been singled out for possible help.

Reeves has said he believes some of the funds should be set aside for work force training opportunities for many of the about 50,0000 Mississippians who have lost their jobs during the economic slowdown. Related to that, he also has said some of the funds should be used to help rebuild reserves in the state’s unemployment trust fund.

Sen. Angela Turner-Ford, D-West Point, chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, said a large portion of the funds – about $450 million – should be used in areas related to the black community since Africans Americans have been disproportionately impacted.

The Black Caucus has proposed programs at the state’s predominately African American colleges and universities, programs to improve health outcomes in the black communities, additional pay for workers put in jeopardy through their jobs during the pandemic and other programs.

“The corona pandemic has highlighted many of the public health, socio-economic and education disparities that have long been impacting the African American community,” Turner-Ford said in a commentary sent out to the state’s media.

“The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus calls upon the Mississippi Legislature to make conscious and deliberate efforts to address known barriers to opportunities and progress in the African American community.”

In the coming days debate will continue on spending the funds.

And perhaps the pressure on the Legislature and its leadership will grow.

The post Legislature quickly passes small business program even after Gov. Tate Reeves said they couldn’t appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Color your way through Mississippi with me! Click below to download a coloring sheet of Pickwick Lake. 

For all of my coloring sheets, click here.

Don’t miss my next coloring sheet! Sign up below to receive it straight to your inbox.

Don’t miss my art lessons — live every Friday at noon.

The post A tour of Mississippi: Pickwick Lake appeared first on Mississippi Today.

May 17, 2020

What we are going through is traumatic, real and scary. Everyone has lost something to this virus and I think it is safe to say that we’re all going through the five stage of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.) If you don’t believe me, looks at your friends’ Facebook posts  and then look at your own. You don’t travel through the five stages linearly — you bounce around. I know I am right now. It’s a good idea to cut people slack — but it is even a better idea to cut yourself some slack. Take care of your mental health as well as your physical health. We’ll get through this — together.

April 24, 2020

There are 58,320 names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. The Wall covers a time span from 1957 to 1975 (it was originally 1959 but they added a name of someone who died from injuries received in 1957). That number was just a number to me — one that I could not put my mind around, until I visited the Wall for the first time in 1991. I walked silently along the path and saw the names listed one after another. My heart sank — by the time I exited the memorial I was overwhelmed. Then you’d see the tributes left behind by grieving friends and loved ones. You realized each name was a life lost. By the time I had made my way through the memorial, my perception of the number 58,320 had changed forever.

Today we’ve passed 50,000 deaths due to COVID-19 — all since the end of February. Each day, that number climbs higher and higher. Soon, the number will surpass the number of heroes we lost in Vietnam.

It’s important to remember that 50,000 is more than just a number. It represents people’s parents, grandparents, friends, children, lovers, spouses, coworkers. Each person represents a life lost and represents deep grief.

Lord be with all who are grieving, suffering and healing.

Lord be with us all.

April 20, 2020

You’d know him if you saw him. In fact, several people have stopped him in the store, asking him for his autograph. “I take it with a grain of salt — the good and the bad,” Greg Goldman laughed as he described his newfound fame. Goldman is the man you see signing during Gov. Tate Reeves’ daily press conference.

He’s arguably one of the most talked about people in the state right now on social media.

The first time I remember seeing Goldman was during Haley Barbour’s post-Katrina press conferences. That was the first time a Mississippi public official had an interpreter. Since then, he has driven the highways and byways of Mississippi helping the deaf and the hard of hearing get the information they need. He’s a contract employee and works for courts, doctors and, yes, the governor during a pandemic.

Greg Goldman is a Jackson native. Growing up with a deaf father, Goldman learned sign language from his mother at the same time he learned English. “I had planned on becoming a diesel mechanic, but I started volunteering helping those who are hearing-impaired.”  He also was a wide-receiver. That football skill would later lead him to coaching at the Mississippi School for the Deaf.

It is estimated that there are between 10,000 and 20,000 deaf and hard of hearing Mississippians. Technology has helped them stay informed, but the service that Goldman provides is invaluable. I asked him about how he keeps up with all the new terminology due to COVID-19. He said that he uses abbreviations (CV19) and explained how he signs coronavirus (the sign for crown). “Numbers are the worst. It’s hard to do math on the fly,” he said describing trying to interpret the amount of water flowing down the Pearl River during the recent flooding. One thing I didn’t know was that the signing is about 10% of how the information is conveyed. Body language is the other 90%.

Signing is truly an art form. And, Goldman is an artist.

I asked him if he had seen the New York mayor’s interpreter (who looks just like him). No, he hadn’t, but he did explain his eponymous black shirt. “It’s for contrast, so I am easy to see.  A bunch of us will wear black all the time and people think I’m Goth or depressed.”

I also asked how people who are interested in becoming an interpreter could follow along in his footsteps. “Immerse yourself in the deaf community. Hang out with people who are hearing impaired.”

I hope to meet Goldman again. He’s truly one of the nicest, most down-to-Earth people you’ll meet. You can tell this is more than a job to him. It’s a passion. And it shows.

P.S. Goldman asked for a signed copy of this cartoon. He’s on the far left getting zapped by an alien. 

April 9, 2020

With gloves on and a face mask, I made a trip out this morning for “essential business.” I left the house at 8:30 and it seemed more like a Sunday than a Thursday morning. The nearby elementary school sat dormant, with an empty playground and still buses. The cacophony of children’s voices had faded away, leaving birds chirping to fill the sonic void. A handful of people were taking advantage of the beautiful spring weather by walking on the nearby running trail. I listened to the news on my car radio and the reason why all of this happening was made apparently clear.

The virus looms.

COVID-19 had taken the life of a minister who was a dear friend of a friend of mine. Last night, I drew a cartoon celebrating his life. Here was a man who had moved so many and lifted up a whole community and, yet, he had died alone in a hospital. With Good Friday coming tomorrow, I thought of him and then Jesus’ words on the cross: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” I was heading to the post office to mail the cartoon.

It will arrive on Easter.

The post office has been modified slighting in our new COVID-19 world. The one worker (there used to be three) stood behind plastic strips like you might see on a walk-in freezer. Strips of tape marked six-foot intervals for the customers. Four of us were in there — three customers and one worker. All of us had on masks and gloves (one older gentleman walked out when I walked in — no gloves or masks. I wish him luck). I mailed the package, opened the door without using my hands, tossed the gloves in the trash and got back in my car. I used hand sanitizer on my hands and arms and went home where I removed my shoes out in the garage and went in and took a shower and changed clothes.

Part of me thinks, “OK, that is ridiculous.” Then, part of me thinks of the minister, who was about my age and died gasping for breath. Nothing is ridiculous these days. Maybe off-the-rails insane, but not ridiculous. This virus doesn’t come to play.

I thought about the postal worker, and I appreciate her taking the risk that she does just to come to work. I passed by the grocery store where the workers there take similar risks. I fired up my computer and read Mississippi Today’s coverage, and I appreciated my co-workers getting out and getting us the information we desperately need to make good decisions for our family.

One of the side-effects of the virus is that it has made me more aware of those around me and what they do for me and our community. And while the virus has done so much damage to our lives, that’s one thing that’s not so bad.

Stay healthy.

April 6, 2020

Sorry for the gap in blogs. Like many of you, I’m at home doing work, helping the kids with their school work and feeling a bit like a rat in the cage — you know, getting used to the new abnormal. I started thinking the other day, “Where will I go first when I can move around?”

Hmmm… To go see family comes to mind. And maybe a trip to the Smokies, too. I miss church and going out to eat. A live concert would be nice, too.  But until then, we’ll need to keep flattening the curve and staying healthy.

Here are a few of the places you said you’d like to go:

Did you miss my last art lesson? Be sure to check it out here. And, don’t miss more lessons every Friday at noon.

March 31, 2020

First of all, I’m going to wish my sister Jennifer a happy birthday! Why? I know, I know, it has nothing to do with COVID-19. But, I wanted to have one minute of normalcy. So… happy birthday, Jennifer. Now, sing that for 20 seconds when you wash your hands.

Back to the regularly scheduled program.

Yesterday, I had a bishop, a restauranteur and a musician on my radio show. Yeah, I know — it sounds like the set up to a joke. I’m just missing a bar. But, there was a golden thread running through all three guests. Let me explain.

The Rt. Rev. Brian Seage, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi, was my first guest. We talked about the challenges churches face now that congregations can’t congregate, especially going into Holy Week. (If you still think they should be able to, read this). He spoke of all the new and creative uses of social media that are being done out there. We discussed the mental challenges facing Mississippians and compared them to the ones that many along the coast faced after Katrina. But, then, he said something that was very profound to me. He reminded us that now is the time to give until it hurts.

Jeff Good has always made giving until it hurts part of his business model. A self-described hyperactive guy, Jeff talked about the huge economic challenges facing his restaurant business and some of the innovative ways he is trying to bring in revenue and ways to help his furloughed employees. Jeff’s plan also included giving back to this community.

Seth Power is a talented musician, based in Brandon. His new album, Souvenir, is excellent and launched with great excitement in January. Seth also is a server at Fine & Dandy — or at least he was. The two main avenues for revenue for him, concerts and waiting tables, are now on hold. Yet, if you see Seth’s Facebook page, it is post after post of helping other people.

I can’t provide you with a clear roadmap on how to get through this minefield laid by COVID-19, but the golden thread running through all three of my guest’s stories is this:

Give. Then give again. And when you are done, give some more.

Don’t miss my next art lesson on Facebook Live — this Friday at noon. Click here for more info and to join the event and be notified when I go live.

If you missed the first lesson last week, watch it here.

March 30, 2020

Nothing quite like a global pandemic and an economic shutdown to get you to start reevaluating life and how you’re living it. So I asked, “Name something you’re going to change in your life because of this pandemic.” Here are a few of the answers. The last one, by Brant Sappington, really hit home with me. Although Jill Conner Browne’s is probably the most true.

Jill Conner Browne My pants size.

Heidi Hutchings Shoemake The words “Thank you” have always been part of my vocabulary, but since this started I am using them less out of respect and more from true, genuine appreciation. It’s imperative for all the “essential” workers to know they are truly ESSENTIAL and APPRECIATED.

Susan Gandy McNeill I’m going to be more deliberate about my retail choices. I’m going to remember those small businesses who protected their patrons at the expense of sales and those who cared for their employees. It’s easy to make the fast convenient choices with our dollars but I plan to seek out businesses who did the right thing instead of the selfish thing.

Pamela Leonard I have been retooling my budget and my emergency fund. And will probably do better about keeping a pantry with good staples in it. And call my parents more often.

Lisa Moore Count all my blessings more often and realize what is most important in life. Not take anything for granted!

Butch Bailey 1. Hug every human and canine I come across that will let me. 

2. Call my mom more often.

3. Be ready to react and respond to these disruptions in the future.

Cindy Long Get together with friends more often!

Fiza Pirani Work less. Buy less. Live simply.

Kelli Scrimpshire Bridwell I will never EVER again make fun of my husband for being prepared BEFORE a crisis!

Christy Pender It’s reminded me why making healthy choices important; so your body is strong for things like this, not just to look better. So I hope that’s the thing that changes, my outlook.

Jennifer Wilson Hall Read my Bible more, pray more, more FaceTime with family…..never miss a moment to say I love you to family and friends

Mark Lyon My next condo is going to have a usable balcony. (He lives in the city).

Clayton Thornton Spend more time reading Bible and try to understand it better.

Becca Pen I’m throwing things out because whenever I pass away, I don’t want my friends and daughter to have to sort my stuff.

Brooke Vance Maier Paper towel use. We literally have one roll bc all the stores are out. It’s forcing me, in a good way, to be mindful of just how dependent on them we are. I have a drawer full of kitchen towels I am using now.

Debbie Waggener I’m going to always have a good supply of sanitizing wipes and use them consistently.

Brant Sappington I feel like this is a time of reassessment. I’m finding out, both in my personal and professional life, just because I’ve always done something one way doesn’t mean it has to be done that way. I think this is teaching me to be more open to the concept of change and more willing to look at the options and possibilities that come from being flexible and adaptable.

How will you change your life? Leave your answer in the comments section below.

March 26, 2020

The national unemployment figures have come in and they are literally off the charts. Anna Wolfe’s story today points out that they were up 600% in Mississippi and would have been higher if not for the system jamming up. People — no YOU — are hurting. We have been hit by something that is NOT our fault. Our anxiety is rising at an exponential rate that I’d guess is somewhere near COVID-19’s exponential growth curve.

We have to take care of ourselves. Stress is a killer, too.

For me, drawing is a way to relax (unless I am on an impossible deadline, but I digress). That’s one of the reasons we started doing the coloring sheets that you can find on Mississippi Today’s site. I’m taking kids (and grownups) on a tour around Mississippi. We may have to social distance but we don’t have to cartoon distance. Download one or two or more and start coloring. Take five minutes to breathe. Give your kids something to do that doesn’t involve a screen.

Tomorrow, I’ll do a Facebook Live drawing tutorial. Join in — I look forward to your comments. I’ve come across a few folks who are doing other things similar and will highlight them along the way, too.

Before I go, I am going to leave you with a quote from Apple’s Steve Jobs.

“Sometimes life’s going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.”

My suggestion is to take that brick and use it to rebuild.

And color. Always color.

March 24, 2020

Yesterday, I checked in on Facebook with some friends to see if they were OK. I got over 100 responses within an hour; people just needed to talk. Some were doing OK — plowing along through this new sea of weirdness, well, while others were rightfully anxious. Actually, they were scared. And, if you’re reading this and are also scared, guess what? That’s OK. It’s perfectly normal to be freaked out during this. These are times that haven’t been seen in nearly 100 years. That said, this is a marathon and not a sprint. While it is important to wash your hands, not touch your face and remain socially distant, you also need to take care of yourself. Mental health is just as important as physical health. This morning, I took a break and went outside. I left my phone in the house and just went out and breathed. Deep breaths — in and out. I listened to the birds and the wind blowing through the pines. I focused on the grass surrounding me. A blue heron flew in and landed nearby.

For a brief moment, I was in that moment.

Then, I went back in and went to work.

I would work 24/7 if I could. For me, one way to reduce stress is to be doing something. It’s a Ramsey thing. But this is not a good longterm strategy. Yesterday, I started working at 6 a.m. and quit at 9 p.m. One, my family, all in the same small house as I am, is going to get sick of me quickly if I don’t stop that. And, second, I’ve already been sick once this week. I don’t need to make myself sick again.

So, from here on out, I’m creating an “essential” list. I will get up early, stick to my list and knock it out. I will build in breaks to go outside and breathe. And when I am done, I will unplug. COVID-19 might get me. It might not. But I’m not going to allow the fear of it to get me first. I still have some living to do.

So if you will excuse me, I’m going to go out and walk Pip. I need to breathe.

And so do you.

Here’s a good article from PBS about the mental effects of what we’re going through and some things to look out for. 

Also, be sure to check out these coloring sheets I’ve made to help you, young and old, take some time to breathe…and color.

March 23, 2020

When I was a kid, my mother had a poster with a donkey straddled over the rail fence. The caption was “Darned if you do, darned if you don’t.” I was thinking about that poster this morning when I was looking at the latest economic numbers and then the spread of COVID-19. All the closings, which are to flatten the curve and slow the spread, have already had huge economic effects on small businesses. It’s hard on my friends who have had their lives upended so rapidly. It’s also hard on all my friends who will get ill and might not find a ventilator that is necessary to keep them alive because people refuse to self-distance. The scenes out of Italy are heartbreaking — where doctors are not treating people over 65. They didn’t shut down fast enough.

Today, the virus is here.

COVID-19 is silently spreading throughout our community. Now that testing is taking place, the numbers are growing exponentially as predicted. We can do things to help our friends in small business — order takeout from restaurants still open, buy gift cards, continue to shop when we can. And, we can also do what we can to help out medical friends. Staying home is one way to do it. Let me correct myself here: COVID-19 doesn’t spread. WE spread COVID-19 and, if we can break that chain, then we’ve helped free up a spot in a hospital.  We must do that for not only our safety but for others.

We also can stay calm and support each other.

I think about how quickly my own life has changed. I am sitting at my kitchen table writing as my wife films a lesson for her students. After I’m done here, I’m going to go do my radio show from my car (a soundproof studio). I didn’t leave my bedroom for over a week due to a chest cold I had (no testing so I don’t know if it was more serious). My son, who is home from college and now working online said that our afternoon walk feels like time in the prison yard. I count toilet paper rolls like I used to worry about my 401K (I gave up for right now on it).

How has your life changed? Let me know in the comment section below and I’ll print some of your responses on my next blog. We can do this all together. But it will get harder.

We must be strong.

Check out Mississippi Today’s COVID-19 Coverage here.

And respect goes out to everyone who is still working out there, trying to stay safe and keeping the lights on.

Cases in Mississippi so far:

[Read all of Marshall’s COVID-19 blog posts here.]

The post Trying to Reason with COVID-19 with Marshall Ramsey appeared first on Mississippi Today.