HELP IS ON THE WAY … it’s up to you
Thursday, November 26, 2020
News.
Promising tests of vaccines – good karma, but not one patient yet vaccinated, not one child vaccinated, not one front-line worker vaccinated, not one susceptible person vaccinated …
We might find solace in knowing Canada has large orders placed for vaccine doses, yet American and German orders will be filled first.
Until then, we wait …
We’ve come a long way in a short while, and yet we’ve collectively stumbled in so many ways; most days, it seems we are far nearer the starting blocks than the finish line.
Less than a year ago, a virus began running wild – first in China, soon everywhere. Last winter and spring brought us shock and a rude-awakening. By summer, we’d become accustomed to the numbers, graphs, and bad news we conveniently rationalized as ‘being worse somewhere else,’ smugly acting as if we’d cornered the market locally on prudent choices and careful practices.
Call your friends, but don’t meet with them.
Greet someone at a safe distance, but don’t shake their hand.
Scrub your hands, wear a mask.
And cross your fingers.
This virus isn’t leaving – we must simply avoid it until most of us get inoculated.
We’ve had front-row seats for many months to witness behavior of our governments, medical advisors, pharmaceutical companies, and antics of every sound-byte hungry politician and bureaucrat. Media of every sort have entwined fact and hype to such a great extent that they’ve caused too many people to disbelieve one another and to question whose advice should be trusted. Meanwhile, we’ve learned new vocabulary – terms like efficacy, long-hauler, spread, super-spreader event, surge, waves, efficacy, long-hauler, ventilator, respirator, mask, and swab.
Terms like infection rate, hospitalization rate, and availability of ICU beds used to only concern health care administrators and their accountants when projecting staff models and tweaking budgets.
Now, we’re all paying attention.
We hated shutdowns of our livelihoods, our communities, our lifestyles – and gradually, our keepers allowed us to resume occupying our zoo. Now it appears, with good reason, lockdowns and regulation-heavy measures are being reinstituted nearly everywhere.
Whatever age we are, we are questioning so many things we used to take for granted – not the least of which is what we can rely on, who we can trust, and how we can plan for and manage our life. Safety and self-determination matter. What our life is about matters. How we go about our daily life matters. Our families matter. Our friends matter.
Yet, it seems smartest to stay away from everyone. Sure, at a safe distance, we all know that’s guesswork at best. And air is air. A breeze or a swinging door can alter what comes our way.
Everyone is changing something they do, and most people are altering their lifestyle, their management of finances, their employment/enterprises, and their expectations.
Despite fear, chaos, hardship, physical and emotional health strife for so many, we are frequently reminded that this is beyond facts and science. It’s beyond politics and government. It’s about attitude and gratitude.
Our American friends are celebrating their Thanksgiving holiday, and the world is opening its wallets for online Black Friday bargains, Christmas shopping is in full swing … and …
And we forget in our joy, those in misery. To be happy right now, every one of us is limited in terms of what we can do, what kind of difference we can make, so let’s change that.
As we give thanks for how good it is, we need to reach down to lift someone who isn’t doing so well; we can’t help everyone.
Let’s start with one.
Help someone.
Make the call.
Then make another.
And if they tell two friends …