René Petersson

Rescue Dog With A Smile

The date was March 19th, 2020 and a stay-at-home order had been declared in California. COVID-19 had already begun to sink it’s spikes into the lives of thousands of Americans across the country, but now it was the Golden State’s turn to take action and, well, mine too. Living on the edge of Angelino Heights, the precipice of Downtown Los Angeles, I was caught between the spillage of Skid Row inhabitants and the skeptical punks of Echo Park that made going outside something I now feared. As someone who prefers the outdoors and lives to interface with strangers and friends abound, this was a type of challenge that required of myself something, something as simple as staying inside, alone and with myself; not completely alone, as I live with my boyfriend, but you understand what I mean. What could be worse than a virus spreading like wildfire in a state used to wildfires than having to sit on the couch and think about my own thoughts? In March of 2020, I would have asserted that nothing could be worse, but with the humbling efforts of time (and the news), I came to know that there are far more treacherous outcomes living in a world learning as it goes.