Its maybe a few weeks into the US blowing up (we have not hit the top of the curve) and I am sitting home doing my best to self quarantine and going a bit stir crazy. I like many people are trying to figure out these times, and with the uncertainty of it all I don’t have answers. As a parent my biggest fear is not having answers for my kids, and this one can’t be googled (or alexa’d or whatever)
But what I learned is what we fear the most, and this is the fear of unknowns and lack of control. This virus has hit us with both big time. At times like this many people need to do and say things so they can sleep at night. They need to believe that they are invulnerable and wont get it, or wont hit anyone they know. They need to pretend its just a bad cold. Not that the numbers don’t relate, you can find statistics that prove you point. The list of flu deaths (hell the deaths from car accidents and others will top this) So attacking asking why people are panicking allows those people to sleep at night.
Others need to hoard everything in side (Toilet paper, cleaning supplies, food etc.) as that is what they can control. They have no control of whether the can get the virus, whether or not they will survive it. What they can control is having enough things to eat then wipe you but when it comes out the other end. I guess that sounds reasonable.
But the thing that I see most of, is many people attacking politicians, scientists, people they know and people they don’t know. This is a response to fear and lack of control. I honestly don’t know what this virus will and can’t do, nor do I know how fast it will propagate. Inf fact there is a podcast of Virus experts (This week in Virology – http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/ ) and these guys know what they are talking about, and they don’t have the answers. Listening back to the first few weeks of the outbreak in China, they seem more inquisitive and wondering vs. giving out what was going to happen.
The attack about what to call it (China virus) to attacking the people who call it the China virus is amazing. I was always told the first thing you do when you are in a hole is to stop digging. It seems like by throwing mud at each other is to continue digging. Then again the information we get is definitely confusing. We are told to “self quarantine” then someone says maybe that is not the best idea putting carriers with some elder people. We closed schools, but going back in history closing schools does not prevent the spread of contagious diseases. ( https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/does-closing-schools-slow-spread-novel-coronavirus# ) Well pre-preemptive closing doesn’t work, reactive does. Which are we doing ?
What I hope to see, I see in pockets. Neighbors offering to get supplies and companies re-thinking what they do and working to build PPE’s. Bauer a hockey company is making masks for Doctors, so the next time I am thinking of getting hockey equipment my first choice will be Bauer. But unfortunately this is only in pockets, there are more people posting on Facebook links to everything and anything. But I guess again it is so they can sleep at night.
I have not slept well at night some nights. Yes I worry a lot about what is going on. but I more worry about my parents, and some other elderly people I know, and people who are on the front line, and wish I could do something more. My outlet is writing like this, playing guitar, working out, and often trying to make some humor of what is going on. I don’t want say so-and-so is doing a bad job (governor, president, mayor etc.) as what we are going thru is unprecedented. (Need to stop digging) Instead we need to think what we should be doing, could be doing to get thru this. It takes a toll mentally on a lot of people, sitting and waiting for it to end. I hope the estimates are not as bad as people present, and that we are outside social gathering sooner then later, but for now I will just do my best to stay at home. I will try to support some of my local restaurants as I will need them when this is over, and if I find something that I can do to help I will. But what I learned is that the fear of unknown and lack of control will always exist, it is what we do with the energy it surfaces that determines our character. What kind of person do you want to be?