From Pastor Kathy: How are you dealing with the "shelter in place"? SCI Albion, like all similar facilities, is been affected, and the men have fewer freedoms. The last I talked with Chris, he is not permitted to go to his job at the infirmary. The men who are not able to go to their jobs are in their cells, except when they are given time to shower, go to the kiosks, make phone calls, etc. As I understand it, that is about 45 minutes in the morning or afternoon on alternate days. When I began this journey, on about March 8, I thought I could understand better what it means to be incarcerated. Then I realized that there is no comparison. My husband and I are mostly in our tiny apartment in our daughter's home; it's tiny but much larger than a cell. Occasionally, we go upstairs and eat with the rest of the inhabitants of the house (the inmates eat alone in their cells). I have a kitchen (well stocked) where I can cook anything I choose. I can get in my car and go to the grocery store. As a pastor I can go to my office at church. I realize how good my life is, even with its restrictions. That doesn't mean I don't have difficulty dealing with life during the pandemic. I miss having "real" contact with my congregations. We are having "Zoom church" on Sundays but virtual presence is not the same as physical presence. My days and weeks run together and it can be a challenge to remember what day of the week it is. Luckily, since I spend so much time on line, my computer tells me what day it is. For me, and most pastors I know, this time is a learning experience, as we seek to "do church" in new ways. One of my biggest challenges, I am finding, is to carve out time that is not somehow work related. (I'm not sure what a day off is, right now, partly because my setting never changes.) Is anyone reading this dealing with similar issues? How are you spending your time?
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