Mariama J. Lockington started writing Forever Is Now in June 2020. It was when we'd learned that even asymptomatic people could be carriers of a deadly contagion but a vaccine was nowhere in sight. It was when a science denying president turned a global pandemic into a political football, framing effective precautions such as masking as threatening people's constitutional rights. It was when righteous anger at documented egregious police killing of unarmed Blacks led to massive protests.
In other words it wasn't a good time to be Black and have generalized anxiety disorder and suffer panic attacks. Lockington tells readers: "My insomnia was at its worst, my disordered thinking at an all-time high...I, like so many of us, was not okay, and I wasn't sure if I would ever be. So, as I have often done in times of turmoil, I turned to writing to make sense of everything, to find some peace, some hope--and out came Sadie's story."
In one day at the beginning of her summer vacation Sadie has two traumatic experiences. Her girlfriend tells that she wants to go back to being just friends. Then at a normally peaceful lake they both witness police racism and brutality. A Black woman has just saved a white woman's dog from drowning. The white woman has called the police, accusing the black woman of attempting to steal her dog. Although it's the white woman who escalates the incident with physical violence, it's the Black woman who is tackled, handcuffed, and carted off to jail.
"No doubt, this will be all over social media
and the news by five o'clock.
Another incident.
Another one of us
hurt."
Evan, Sadie's long time ride-or-die, is going to a protest. She intends to go with him. But when she tries to descend the nine steps between her front door she's paralyzed, unable to move.
Sadie has become unable to leave her house. She has to pass up on her dream summer internship.
"Nothing about this summer is turning out
the way I expected:
No girlfriend.
No internship.
No life."
Sadie isn't even sure she will be able to return to school when fall rolls around. But she isn't giving up. And her journey will be truly engaging--especially for the many teens coping with anxiety.
On a purrrsonal note, I'm really looking forward to tonight. All month UMaine has been raising awareness about domestic violence. Tonight's the March Against Domestic Violence. My Amber and her husband, Brian, will be participating. I'll have a chance to spend quality time with them for a cause that really matters to all of us.
A great big shout out goes out to all who will be participating.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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