Prayers answered, at least for now

I recently posted about a former coworker and Facebook friend, Warren. A man in his mid-50s who lives alone, he had been partying nonstop during the pandemic, even when the bars were still closed. No social distancing, no mask. I was very worried about him.

I understood a little of what motivated him. Warren has always been very gregarious, very social, very much into sharing his life with everyone he meets. And now, with the pandemic and work from home, he's isolated. 

To exacerbate matters, he moved to Wrigleyville this year. It's the neighborhood that cropped up around my beloved Cubs' ballpark. For generations, it was kinda neglected. But then the Cubs started winning and, during this century, it's become younger, more single, and more upscale. It's a lot of bars. (I remember wandering around after a game with my then 19-year-old nephew, and I could see in his face that he thought Wrigleyville was better than Disneyland.) It's filled with rather privileged young people who are sure Covid will never happen to them. Wrigleyville is not where you go to avoid temptation.

Today Warren posted that he realized that he's been "acting like a frat boy" as he tried to escape his "fear and anxiety." I was so happy to see this! He said he's embarrassed by how he's been acting and has reached out to a local church for socially-distanced volunteer work.

I know how hard it is to turn over a new leaf, and I'm not expecting this new attitude to change his life 100% overnight. But I'm glad he sees the problem. Recognizing it is the first step to solving it.