Who could ever have imagined a world in which we drive store to store in search of toilet paper, especially here in the Paper Valley? It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world.
But, it doesn’t have to be an angry one.
It’s a disappointing world, especially for people who’ve worked their whole lives to qualify for an event and then had it canceled or postponed indefinitely.
But, it doesn’t have to be a bitter one.
It’s a challenging world and it will get even more so as this business of social distancing really takes hold.
But human beings are born to rise and it is true that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger and hopefully more empathetic.
A global pandemic, by definition, affects everyone and I think some really good things can come from this one:
- Better hygiene in general and hand washing in particular.
- A renewed appreciation for good ole soap and water.
- More flexible work opportunities for people who are sick and…
- Sick people who stay home until they aren’t contagious anymore.
- A healthy understanding of our human vulnerabilities.
- Respect for our healthcare workers who often risk their own well-being to render aid.
- Perspective.
I hope you all stay healthy and reasonably happy and, if you are a theatre student whose spring show is canceled, or a college athlete who won’t get to play in the NCAA Tournament, or a traveler whose trip-of-a-lifetime has been postponed, or a person with a compromised immune system who is really scared right now, or an hourly wage earner who is very worried about what your next paycheck is going to look like, please know that we’re genuinely sorry for what you’re going through and we’ll help in whatever way we can.
It’s a mad world right now, but we can get through it together.
Note: The first round of our Don’t Touch Your Face Challenge ended with a winner so surprising even he couldn’t believe it. “I never thought I’d win anything like this! I’ve never won anything in my life!” he said dramatically. Ironically, the biggest germaphobe in the house finished last. (Mostly because he was a compulsive self-reporter).
This week’s winner has requested steak tacos and that’s what we’re going to make. We’ll keep you posted on round two.
