I’ve always hated good-byes. Saying good-bye hurts. No matter the reason for the departure, that word signifies an ending, and endings are always hard.
We’ve been forced to say good-bye to our pre-virus lifestyle, whatever that was. Whether we and our families are directly affected by this virus, confronting death or illness, or we’re just staying home, healthy and impatient, our lives are definitely changed.
What to do? What not to do?
Advice abounds, online, in newspapers (does anyone out there get a real newspaper?), on the radio, TV, all the media. We’re bombarded with it…which seems right, since this is a war.
Confusion seems to be winning. Today from the internet:
“Sleeping badly while social distancing?” (Spoiler: I’m sleeping like a baby.)
“Is going to the beach OK?” (Spoiler: it’s not.)
“Economic devastation.” At least they’ll get my taxes.
Today’s worst stopped me in my reading tracks:
“Funerals go online.”
The article (from CNN) called this an “unthinkable new normal.” What will be the rest of our ‘new normal,’ I can’t help but wonder. This isn’t going to be over tomorrow. We’ll have lots of time to slide slowly, our heels dug in, toward our new normal.
And the best news I’ve heard (for the worst reason) in a long time:
“Satellite images show less pollution as corona virus shuts down public places.”
Yes! The canals of Venice have fish in them again! Dolphins are coming closer to the coast of Italy. Our rivers are cleaner. The planet is healing. All it took was for the planet’s deadliest virus — humans — to go away for a while.
Will we learn from that, going forward. Or will we slip back into our destructive, polluting ways?
Our choice.
Colleagues of mine put this story together:
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146362/airborne-nitrogen-dioxide-plummets-over-china
There is some good news despite all the sadness and uncertainty.
Interesting reading! But humans have very short memories, even after the most horrendous learning experiences, like the polio epidemic, or 911. We forget…or at least, our politicians do. I sincerely hope most of our lawmakers, businessmen and politicians try to remember and use what we’ve learned. At least some of it.
Dierdre. I was just talking about this today with a friend. Will we learn any lessons from this? Will we be more cognizant of each other and our planet?
I told him that I hoped so, prayed so.
He doubted. He said the togetherness and community after our last national/international shock— 911–only lasted months at best and then we forget, blotted the bad experience from our memory backs, and moved in, once again oblivious.
I hope he’s wrong.
I pray so.
John
Many of my college students over the years were completely ignorant about World War II. Some didn’t even know who had fought whom, or why. Hard to imagine!! Did they learn anything from our collective experiences? Obviously not. Some of them will no doubt go on to positions of power, maybe in government, and they will be as ignorant as our current president.
Your friend is probably right. But, like you, I will continue to hope and pray that he’s not.