Shahrokh Ahkami
Persian Heritage #98, Fall 2020
Persian Heritage after 25 years of continued publication, for the first time halted the press for the Summer 2020 issue. Some of our readers and community were saddened by this and possibly others joyful thinking that after all these years Persian Heritage had stopped its press forever. Fortunately because of the support of so many we have returned with the Fall 2020 issue and hope to continue until WE make a decision to end the publication.
The Corona Pandemic came with a vengeance and has crippled the world and brought its citizens to their knees. The virus is entering its tenth month of life and shows little signs of leaving us. It remains dangerously contagious and continues to kill on its path of destruction. Despite all the tireless efforts by the medical community and governmental policies put in place, our success in battling this virus has been limited.
This virus has no boundaries on who it will infect every race, creed, religion, ethnicity age and sex is vulnerable, though some are more vulnerable than others. In the United States (as I am certain in other countries around the world), most of the people who have lost their battle to this virus are minorities; the elderly and people of color, specifically African- Americans. This is due to poverty, lack of access to health care, and underlying health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. The death rate among these minority groups is higher compared to people with greater wealth and the Caucasian population.
The impact of this virus on us is as diverse as the people it attacks. It has brought communities and families closer together. Places of work, schools and nursing homes closed. The breadwinners of the family now found themselves in new roles as cooks, caregivers, cleaners, babysitters, playmates and educators to their own children and families. Spending more time at home has taught all of us a new appreciation and understanding of the challenges faced by the homemaker. It has taught us about the tremendous amount of physical and emotional energy it takes to care for a child or elderly parent. And it allowed us to experience the joy of playing with a child to sharing an uninterrupted conversation with an adolescent. Couples are finding new appreciation for each other and sharing responsibility.
The quarantine has forced everyone to be creative while in isolation. For some families and individuals the experiences, though trying at times, have been positive. Unfortunately for some families and individuals the experience of togetherness has been negative. In spending more time with their partner’s unknown differences in opinions surfaced. Some differences have resulted in separations and divorce. People are anxious and getting frustrated during this Pandemic and want to go back to normalcy. We can only pray that there will soon be a vaccination and our hope to return to normalcy becomes a reality. It seems, however, that the Corona virus has no intention of leaving us any time soon. But! we are humans and as humans we will adapt to living with this virus. We as human beings will learn new ways to protect ourselves and the ones we love. We as humans will learn to live life and make a new temporary norm, while waiting for our old life to return.
I sadly remember the early days of the virus, when New York and New Jersey were the epicenters. Every day on the news we would see images of bodies piled up in storage waiting to be buried. Those were very difficult times. I also remember the day I was called to the hospital for a delivery. I knew the dangers that faced me at the hospital. I am not embarrassed to state that I was filled with fear and anxiety for my family and myself. I told no one where I was going as they were insistent that I close my office and stay home.
My fears dissipated as I drove convincing myself that I was a doctor and must be there for this delivery and a patient who for 9 months was in my care! When I entered the hospital I avoided touching anything as I made my way to the OB department. The hospital provided me with special protective gear that covered my body, face and feet. Hours went by waiting for the delivery and I was not in the mood to speak or mingle with anyone. And then a beautiful new baby entered the world. This moment put smiles on the parent’s faces, the staff’s faces and OF COURSE mine. This I thought was worth the risk of this OLD MAN possibly getting sick. I knew at this moment that I could not stay home as my family wished. I only prayed that those I love would be protected and understand my decision. When I arrived home I confessed to them. Their eyes, while filled with concern were also filled with love and understanding of my decision and they never asked me to stay home again.
These past few months have been extremely difficult for everyone including me. Like most I have become more aware of my surroundings; the people, their suffering and their hardships. My morals and values have been tested. I will always remember the parks, restaurants, streets, stores, places of worship once filled with people suddenly became empty. I will always remember how smiles on faces were covered with masks. I will always remember how the joy of a hug and kiss changed to a quick elbow touch. I will always remember how my home and the homes of so many filled with the joy of laughter and conversation of family and friends became dreadfully quiet. And, I will also remember how to be grateful.
During one of these days a colleague of mine and I boarded the elevator at the hospital. The rules allowed only two at a time. We wore masks and faced the walls with our backs to one another. Suddenly I started laughing and said to him, “ A few months ago we would have been in full conversations smiling at each other. Now we barely look at each other let alone speak. Are we afraid of infecting one another through our saliva, or do we look at each other as the enemy, the one who might infect you or you me?” My colleague responded by stating, “Yes, these are very difficult days, but what can we do? Today our elderly parents and grandparents are in nursing homes and we are not allowed to visit them fearing that we will somehow infect them and make them sick. They are in dire need of love from their grand kids and children and there is nothing we can do, we just have to bare this life of horror.”
His words didn’t console me. Instead they made me tremble and made me deeply sad. These feelings were intensified by the news from my beloved Iran. Each day the situation gets worse. Each day my fellow Iranians in Iran are dealing with a financial crisis that has crippled the country. Inflation, suppression by the Mullahs and now this Pandemic has added to their despair. How much more can they suffer? When the Pandemic hit Iran in early November the government denied it occurring in the country. This led to a lack of management and control of the virus allowing it to spread quickly and things worsened. To this day there is no governmental plan to contain the virus. With the recent holidays of Ashura and the flocking of people in the streets without any protective gear, surely there will be a rise in cases. The lack of access to food, medicine, money, work, shelter and now the spread of the virus is causing enormous pain, suffering and hardship for my dear Iranian people.
I wish, I hope and I continue to pray that by the time this fall issue reaches your door step a vaccine has been introduced into the market and hopefully it will prevent more loss of life.
I thank all my dearest friends, subscribers and supporters for all the warmth and support you have given us in the last six months. I wholeheartedly wish for all humanity health, happiness and success, especially for my beloved Iranians who have suffered so much in the past. I wish, I hope and I pray for better and more prosperous days ahead.