Like everyone else on the Spectrum I have struggled to find employment. What seemed difficult before the COVID-19 outbreak seems all but impossible now. But I have still refused to give up the search. I am still working with Debra and with my family to find a job in a market that has gotten much smaller.

To keep up my morale during this crisis, I have tried whatever I can to stay busy. Whether it’s looking for work, going out for walks with a facemask, or staying indoors with a book, I am trying to stay active. I spent the last several weeks having Zoom sessions with a non-profit organization called Sunrise School, and am now doing phone-banking once a week for a political candidate. While my sister is continuing her job for a hospital, and my parents try and work through the pandemic, I feel a need to do my part.

If you are feeling like you could do more, or just want something to do, I suggest looking anywhere for groups on Zoom and keeping in touch with friends and contacts. I would also suggest pursuing any hobbies from home, whether it’s music, video games, or even collecting coins. The only thing worse than feeling helpless right now is to feel isolated, which is why now is not the time to be closed off. To everyone reading this, I wish you all the best of health and luck in this troubling time. Nothing lasts forever, not outbreaks or unemployment.