I watched the pandemic unfold from my bedroom window, which overlooked Cermak Road, throughout 2020. In between Zoom calls, I sat at my desk and watched the world pass by the busy street.
At first, ambulances were arriving nearly every hour, with Cicero being a major COVID hotspot. Days later, funerals and caskets were driving by. As we slowly adapted to the times, people in the neighborhood got creative. I watched birthday party caravans and high school graduations with balloons, music, and homemade posters taped to car windows.
On June 1, 2020, I turned 26. I’ve always been a little sad on my birthday, and that year was particularly difficult. A few days earlier on May 25, I, like many around the world, watched a video of a police officer murdering George Floyd in broad daylight…