Where Do We Go From Here?

Photo byAndré NoboaonUnsplash

The reaction to the coronavirus has turned the world as we know it upside down. If we had not reacted, statistics show that at least 5% of the world’s population would be deceased and many, many of our loved ones passed on. Our hospitals, morgues, and funeral homes would be at capacity and overrun. Our health care workers would need to choose who to help and who to turn away. More and more of them, heroes of the crisis, would place their own lives at risk. The vision is bleak and grief a constant.

However, our reaction has not come without its own pain. My elderly aunt has dementia and is under the care of a nursing home. Until the isolation, I visited every few days. Now she is being protected from the virus, but she can have no visitors except the nursing home staff. I may never get to see her and hug her again as she is in poor health. There are now those in hospice who die without a visit from a loved one. A stranger holds their hand. They pass without a last kiss on the forehead. They are not dying from the virus, but they die isolation.

Under stay-at-home orders, we have become isolated and even fearful of coming into contact with our fellow humans. We are social animals living in isolation, seeding mental illnesses. With businesses closed, we are fearful of the future. Will we have enough to eat? There is mass uncertainty. When will life as we knew it reopen? If it reopens, the coronavirus may spike. Will we shut down again? When will this be over – not the coronavirus as there will always be viruses, but our reaction to it? Masking ourselves like bandits, we are safer from contamination, but what of the psychological impacts? Some protest – even violently. The unmasked are condemned for not complying and keeping others’ lives safe.

There are now those who embrace the mask and the new rules, and those who rebel – both sides believe they are right and mock and judge harshly those who differ. Our response to a virus has quickly divided along political mindsets well-worn with deep grooves from continual sided vitriol. This anger increases violence.

It is not our response, but our elected officials’ response, imposing rules that not all buy into. We either buy into and support, or rebel, and some may even feel powerless. Instead of angrily opposing, if you don’t buy in, protest non-violently. Carrying a weapon is not non-violent. Opening a business and supporting the business owner is non-violent protest. Whatever your “side”, be kind to those who differ. We are all in this together, but we are not all in the same circumstances. Some accept calmly, even with humor, and maintain mental health, but not all are able to do this.

Our government has handed out trillions of dollars, mind-boggling amounts. These are our tax dollars that we paid into. It seems we react and act quickly. Some reports show 1:5/6 people are now unemployed, yet we gave everyone a stimulus check, the wealthy, as well as, the poor. Some who were retired, applied for unemployment. Some who had no financial need applied. And there are still the stories of those who cannot get unemployment, and yet need it to pay their monthly bills. Big businesses and large corporations received incomprehensible huge amounts – necessary? We are hemorrhaging money, our money. It is being spent seemingly willy-nilly – with the wealthiest getting the largest payouts. Chaos and confusion reign in the nightly news.

Even though last year’s “normal” seems like a comfort now, like mom’s macaroni and cheese, and we reminisce and wish for that “normal” again. That “normal” hurt our home planet earth and many, many of her creatures. Our “normal” caused Grand Canyon sized gaps of income inequality. Our “normal” included racism and gender crimes. In our “normal” numerous women and children lived in fear. Etc. and etc. Yes, we feel uncomfortable now, but do we want to return to that? How do we go from where we are to where we would like to be … that is the question? How do we get a massive buy-in, especially in countries so divided? Where do we go from here?

There are those who say now is the time to change the system. The old system was broken; however, I have not seen a coherent vision of what the change would look like. Just a lot of talk. We need more than talk, we need to create a collective vision of the future with steps on how to get there from where we are, and then we need a majority buy-in. This would need a miracle. I pray for a miracle.

(I could not bring myself to use an image of the coronavirus as I am tired of seeing that little guy)

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