Up here in the great Northwest, we’re moving into our second month of social distancing and sheltering in place. It very exciting… for some. For others, it quite boring. And for others still, it terrifying. Or as we used to say in the Navy, situation normal all f… well, you get the picture.
Of course, it’s anything but normal, which is what we all want, but can’t have.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this disruption, if interesting is the right word-which it might not be-is how profoundly different the pandemic is affecting different groups of people. Doctors and nurses, all those involved with emergency care and infectious diseases, are right on the front lines being exposed everyday, followed by public safety agencies such as the police, fire and rescue, prisons, social workers, etc. Included in these essential classes are the folks who are part of food delivery, groceries, pharmacies, booze, dope; the stuff we need to survive. They’re out there interacting, whether they want to or not.
Others are working from home, and educating their kids, depending on where they are in raising their kids, which is as exciting as it sounds. Some of us are simply waiting. I fall into that category. I would prefer to be doing something other than waiting, but as I’m no longer essential…
It’s what I do.
And because of that, and because I’m fortunate not to have to worry about money, for the most part-I’m not Bill Gates- I worry about all those who are concerned, fearful, scared with what all this is doing to their livelihoods, their businesses, and their futures; not to mention their health. The sad fact is this pandemic is going to produce a lot of misery for a lot of people. Small business, entertainers, retail, tourism are going to be hammered.
All the fun stuff that involves more than a few people.
Add to that, the spectacle of our hoary politics making everything worse. But then our indifference to competent management of government oversight-I’m talking politicians here-for the sake of “my side’s great; your side stinks” pablum is why we’re ill-prepared in the first place.
Maybe, and that’s a big maybe, at the end of this, we’ll start to see that sitting in our siloed echo chambers being told only what we want to hear, rather than what we need to hear, will lead us to better appraise our current idiocies for those that might actually benefit us the next time we-assuming we get through this one-find ourselves in this kind of bind.
Till then, do what you can to stay sane, to help those in need, to protect yourself and others, and know that humanity faced circumstances far worse and came through it, if not with flying colors, then color notheless.
©2020 David William Pearce
David William Pearce, Writer 