The world is definitely changing. As difficult as it is to accept all the craziness that is going on all around us, change is a necessary and positive thing.
Letting go of the past to allow for the new is never easy. We see the world that we grew up in being torn apart and grasp for the familiar. The thing is, the new may be something so much better than we ever could have expected.
Consider this; children who are reaching adulthood today never experienced 9/11. They never experienced a world without school shootings. They've been raised with anti-bullying campaigns and can recognize that behavior even in their own parents when we are unaware of it ourselves. They know what global warming is and the things we can do to lessen its impact.
These are the newlyweds, the parents to be. There are very few things in life that bring into focus what kind of world we want to live in than impending parenthood.
As a person of some age, I knew how to navigate the world that I spent my lifetime in. It doesn't seem to exist anymore but I believe something better is coming. We are going to survive these growing pains.
You and I might have opposing views of what this new world will or should look like. Doesn't matter, we'll both probably be proven wrong. If we trust that God is in charge, neither of us has reason to fear the change.
Back in February it was easy. I could watch the news and feel confidant in my decisions. I followed the events in Italy closely because we seemed to be about two weeks behind them. I decided to clear my debts, make sure that my pantry and freezer had enough to keep us fed for two to three weeks. I prepared for the inevitable shelter in place. I was ready.
I waited for our President to make the announcement. It never came. Eventually the governors finally did the job. It fell to them to prepare, to procure what was necessary to keep their citizens safe while we learned what this disease was, how to treat it most effectively, how quickly it could spread, what the mortality rate might be. No one had seen this virus before and no one could say with any certainty what to expect.
Today we know that this disease is extremely contagious. We know that over 90% of those that get it recover. We know that those who suffer the most or die from it are predominantly elderly or have underlying conditions. We have learned a lot. Do we know everything? Certainly not.
I'm old enough to remember chickenpox. We knew then that it was a one time disease. Once you had it, you had immunity. It was much harder on adults than on children so when a kid came down with it, there were chickenpox parties to intentionally infect the kids so we could get it over with while we were young. It wasn't deadly, we only needed to avoid aspirin so as not to get Reye's syndrome. Most children today are vaccinated against this disease but these days people of my age are getting shingles vaccines because the chickenpox we had as kids never completely left our bodies. It laid in wait for when our bodies grew older and weaker.
The point is, we rarely know what we think we know.
As a person who falls into the vulnerable population for Covid, I really would prefer to not take my chances of recovering well from this disease. Most of my friends are also vulnerable to the worst of what this disease can hand out and I certainly wouldn't want to put them at risk.
I am not old enough to retire yet so I have to go to work. When we first opened the economy, people were wearing their masks and I could feel that at least the attempt was being made and if I kept my hands clean and did my part, I stood a reasonable chance of staying safe.
These days, few people are wearing masks and all of the hand washing in the world doesn't remove their contagions from the air. While at work I do not have the option to remove myself from the situation. Out of the hundreds of people that come through the door, it only takes one to pass this virus to me and from me to my partner.
I don't know how many of you have dogs but if you have ever travelled with one you'll be familiar with the window. Those nose prints are gross and hard to clean. That is how my plexiglass screen gets at work if we don't stay on top of it. That shows me that people put out more nastiness when they breathe than they think they do,
As I go about life outside of work, I've become more aware of the people around me. There are fewer and fewer places that I feel confident to be in. My world is slowly shrinking.
I no longer feel capable of preparing for what may come. I watch the news and seek information from other countries to gauge what actions will be best for me and my family and get no answers. No other country is in our position. Pandora's box has already been opened and the lid lifted off.
We all agree that small businesses need to be able to reopen. Before they do they need many permits, registrations etc .Covid or not, it is part of having a business. All of those cost a lot of money to procure. They also need employees that are able and willing to come to work. They put all of that expensive paperwork at risk if they don't comply with CDC guidelines, and most of their employees are not high income people. They come to work to earn a paycheck to pay their bills and feed their families just like anyone else. As more and more people come into a business 'choosing their freedom' to not wear a mask the risk per dollar earned grows less and less at the same time that the treatment that they receive from these customers gets more and more belligerent. It is rapidly reaching the point where the stress and risk is no longer worth the money that is made.
Dear God, I'm angry!
Right now, it seems as if everyone is angry. And why not, the whole world is in upheaval.
I learned a long time ago that anger is really fear and frustration over things we cannot change. Generally, I manage to overcome my anger by asking myself what I'm afraid of. Let's see, that would be; a pandemic of a highly contagious unknown virus, an economy that is barely holding on leaving many wondering where their next meal is coming from, a broken food supply system, an America that has become the Divided States over the past decade plus, and a future that nobody knows what it will look like. What do I have no control over; the virus, the economy, the food chain, American politics, the future.
The only thing I have control over is myself. Not other people, not Mother Nature, only me. So yes, I'm angry. I'm afraid and I'm frustrated and I'm praying for miracles. A miracle to heal our planet. A miracle to heal our nation. A miracle to heal our spirits.
I am not concerned by the huge increase in jobless claims. Here's why. I, like so many others am staying home. Yes, I could almost certainly find temporary employment with my background in retail. It comes down to priorities. My first priority to America is to do my part to protect our medical system.
If I should find myself positive for the virus at any point, I want it to be there to help me become one of the many, many survivors. At that point, I hope that science will show that survivors now have antidodies. Then, I will happily rejoin the workforce with fervor. Two jobs, three jobs, whatever. I'll be off the jobless list and spending money to support my local businesses.
The President is right in saying that Americans want to work but not by putting my fellow citizens at risk. The economy will recover. I believe that with all my heart but only if we see this through. Too soon and we'll risk putting ourselves in a situation from which we cannot recover.
Dear Mr. President,
I want you to know that while I do not identify as Democrat or Republican, I do identify as an American. I am proud of my country and believe in their can do spirit.
I implore you to stay the course. I believe that the 15 Day Plan is the best and possibly the only hope for our country. I know that it has been over a week and seems to you as if we've made no progress in its goals. I want you to realize that in actuality we are closer to day one.
Only four days ago I was standing at the register of the small business in which I work. Nearby all six Skills games were in use, retirees, working people, young people sitting shoulder to shoulder, swapping machines talking about which of the many places they frequent are paying out. As soon as one would leave, another would take their place. So many hands, so much close contact.
As they sat and joked about the virus being 'fake', a 'conspiracy, only happening in the cities, I also had to wait on regular customers. The family of four stopping in on their way by along with their friends. Suddenly there are 14 people in this space. I sold one pack of cigarettes.
This is rural America. The people are good hard-working patriotic citizens but they clearly haven't been getting the message. The shutting down of the non-lifesustaining businesses was the wake up they needed.
If you do 'reopen' the economy at this time, the virus wins, America loses and the economy will still tank. Sick workers cannot work. Dead people do not buy goods.
I believe in America. Conquer this virus and the economy will soar again. Keep America Great. Face what we must do, can do, will do and then with a collective sigh of relief we can move on.
