THIS IS IN OUR (VERY CLEAN) HANDS

There’s nothing like a period of ‘sheltering in place’ to reveal just how ‘sheltered’ a person’s life already is.  As far as I can tell zero things have changed for us.  We’re retired and live out on a farm.  Our closest neighbor is a mile away; that’s a lot of social distance.  I go to town for groceries – just like I always do – well, except that the store is out of things I need.  It’s not the store’s fault.  People are crazy. 

Remember, a million years ago when we started hearing about this new virus China was having a problem with?  Remember how amazed we were with the news that they slapped up a 1000 bed hospital in less than a week, but it was the speed that impressed us, not the need.

Next, it became a story about people stranded on cruise ships because of this virus – the ships not allowed to dock, the people not allowed to disembark? Still, this was happening on the other side of the planet – it was interesting and only a little worrying if we knew folks who were traveling.

Then, at what should have been no surprise to any of us, the novel corona virus made landfall on North American shores.  By this time it had a name – COVID-19 – and the scientist’s voices were starting to get loud enough for us to begin to pay attention.  Daily, incrementally, the public service announcements stepped up their urgency, the warnings probably being dispensed in stages so as not to cause panic.  The voices of the announcers and political leaders are steady and measured but there are dark rings under their eyes and they look like they aren’t getting a whole lot of sleep.

All of a sudden the school year was over, hockey season was over, baseball will not be starting, the Olympics are off for 2020.

And here we are: sheltering place.

There’s that question you hear from time to time:  If you could have a conversation with anyone, who would you choose?

As of this week I am intrigued with how the people of 1918 weathered the Spanish Influenza.  Oh sure, I can read all sorts of history about where it came from, how it spread, how many people died, and how it resurfaced in 1920 for a second round, but that information doesn’t cover how the everyday people coped with the fear, the rumors, and the disease itself.  Humans being humans and deadly disease being deadly disease, likely we have a lot in common with our great grandparents.  What could they teach us about what the coming year will be like if we could only talk to them?

Without the wisdom of people who actually lived through a pandemic such as we are facing now I guess our only choice is to cope on our own. 

The word ‘humanity’ is generally used when we are describing virtues such as generosity, altruism, and selflessness – the good side of being human.  But Webster’s Dictionary defines ‘humanity’ merely as ‘the quality or state of being human’; not necessarily the same thing at all.  Humans can be very frail things when they feel their lives are in jeopardy.  For some it brings out the best in them, for a few it uncovers the worst.  Both are very human.

From what I’ve come to learn about this virus, we are in it for the long haul.  No amount of dissatisfaction with being cooped up inside, no disappointment of no school or sports or socializing with friends is going to change the fact that if we don’t obey the stay home orders, the quarantine will only have to go on longer.  Neither does our frustration at having our lives on hold make the slightest bit of difference to a virus.  As long as we spread it around it will continue to infect and kill people.

The bottom line is that we humans are the key.  We can be kind to each other and take care of each other.  We can learn from this experience so to be better prepared for the next time.  And most important and immediate of all, we can stop the spread in its tracks.  The virus can go nowhere without us to carry it.

So, shelter in place – and while you’re at it, write a diary of how you feel and what you did with your days of isolation.  Someone will want to read them some day.