A virus has been spreading around the world with cold and flu-like symptoms. It is highly contagious, has no known cure, and carries a death rate that is around 3%, but may be has high as 20% in older or more vulnerable populations. It's advancement seems relentless as it mocks even the most extreme efforts of containment.
Initially, America's leaders downplayed the severity of this thing as they watched it coming. It was fake news. It was a conspiracy. It was unwarranted worry. When people started dying in Italy at a rate of one person every four minutes, people changed their minds real fast. Both the stock market and the supermarket were depleted overnight as people prepared for the unknown. This, in turn created a wake-up call for some and panic for others. Stores are not able to maintain a supply of even basic goods, and almost all have begun to ration things like pasta, toilet paper, and OTC medicine.
In the absence of clear leadership at the national level, governors started stepping up and issuing orders for their respective states. This has created some confusion, as neighboring states have had different responses, but it does make some sense since not all states have been hit equally. New York has a person dying every hour. My home-state of Idaho has, so far, no reported deaths and only a few confirmed cases. My guess is that in the end we will all be in the same boat, but states with larger and denser populations will certainly be affected the most.
In some areas, people are being mandated to stay in their homes. Almost all schools have been closed. Businesses are shutting down left and right, and unemployment is rising (or expected to rise) to levels not seen since the Great Depression. It is nearly impossible to go anywhere in public without seeing people wearing PPE (masks and gloves), and there is enormous social pressure to maintain a "safe" distance from others, as a person could easily become a vector for "the virus."
The virus, it would seem, is all anybody is thinking about. Every interaction is colored by its effects as people hash and rehash what we know and what we don't, argue over "proper" emotional or political responses, or commiserate with one another about how it has affected them personally. Uncertainty seems to be the only thing anybody can agree upon, while radicals are only too happy for a growing audience of people yearning for some sort of explanation or sense of control.
Where this all ends up a month, or a year from now is for anyone to say. For many, I fear, it will prove to be devastating on some level. For others, it will barely register as a blip during the course of their lifetimes. It does seem like one of those things though, much like 9/11, where it is clear that history is being made, and I have to admit that it is (and I say this cautiously)...a little bit exciting just to realize the significance of this moment.
What does this all of this mean for our own family? Well, we haven't stocked up on toilet paper if that is the question. We are doing our best to hold it together as the kids are home from school. They still do their classes each day online, but Rachel and I both acknowledge freely that neither of us are cut out very well to be stay-at-home parents, and we steal personal time away as much as possible. Opportunities to do things outside of the house are dwindling, and I have never been so thankful in my life for "screen time."
At church, I continue to play in the band. If anything, the extra downtime has allowed me to practice more, and I have even started playing bass guitar on occasion. Services are now live-streamed on the internet to our congregation, but it is weird not to have people in front of us when we play. I am used to looking up at 300 friendly faces, and it is a little unsettling to see nothing but a camera and the 15 or so people on the staff who are running things.
Climbing has also come to a near stand-still. I try to stay in shape, but with all the gym closures and social distancing policies, I fear my season will not be what I had hoped for. Already, I am anticipating the need to cancel an "A-list" trip next month to Red Rocks (though I haven't yet), and many of my spring-time projects have been postponed due to travel restrictions. This is one of the first years that my skill level, my equipment, my partners, and my time available have all lined up to allow me a realistic chance of reaching goals I have had since high school, and it is a little bit frustrating to see this window of opportunity closing.
At work, I am limited to seeing patients only for urgent needs. This is as much for the sake of "flattening the curve" as it is for the inability we have of keeping employees safe given the nature of our jobs. As a general dentist, this cuts off about 90% of my patient flow, and consequentially, about the same percentage of my income. It's not just dentists either- the entire industry has been hit hard. Livelihoods will be lost.
For now, in Idaho at least, limiting work is only a "strong recommendation" from multiple sources, but has yet to become a mandate. The truth is that nobody really knows how to handle this situation, and responsibility keeps getting passed from agency to agency. "The situation is fluid" is the most common thing to hear. Nobody wants to shut down dental offices entirely, as they do a LOT to divert traffic away from an already overtaxed hospital system. On the other hand, nobody wants them to be in business either since they sit at the very top of the risk curve for contracting and spreading this virus. In short, everyone is wondering what to do, and it looks increasingly likely that the answers we do have are coming from nothing more than a magic 8 ball.
A few days ago, our neighboring state of Washington enacted an actual law requiring all dental offices to restrict normal operations until May 18. Some states have been talking about even longer suspensions. Things seem to be completely up in the air (no pun intended), and there seem to be no answers. The way things are looking, this state of generalized anxiety and uncertainty looks like it will last much longer than just a couple of weeks.
Given this information, I think it is important to say to those who might be concerned about our family's welfare- don't worry. We are fine. In fact, we are far better off, probably, than the majority of people during these uncertain times. We might go bonkers with boredom, it is true, but if that is the worse of it then I think we'll be okay. That is all.
As for Rachel, she gets to carry an official card with her to work in Washington because she is considered an "essential worker...integral to the infrastructure...etc." It seems almost dystopian to think she could ever actually be stopped and asked to produce "papers" allowing her to roam free in her own country, but I guess that is where we are at now. In fact, things have, if anything, been busier than ever for her. I imagine that for the next little while she will be the main breadwinner for our family, a role which she is almost too happy to fill given the alternative of preparing meals, homeschooling, and solving the endless variety of childish tiffs that seem endemic to daily life in our household.
She has also spent and increasing amount of time with CDAide- a local charity that she works with for the benefit of hospitality workers. She recently took on additional responsibilities in this organization at a time where the need has never been greater. I am not clear of all that she does here, but if anyone wants to talk to her about it, I'm sure she'd love to fill you in.
Meanwhile...
We do our best to keep it together. We have tried to establish some sort of structure to our days, and things really are running pretty smoothly. We got a pickleball set, and the weather is starting to be nice enough to go on family walks or bike rides. Maren has been saving up her money and surprised me a few days ago by purchasing two small rabbits that live on top of her dresser (apparently her and Rachel had been keeping this plan a secret from me for some time). The kids and I managed to get into the library just hours before it shut down and the kids stocked up on books to read. Spring cleaning is underway, and by the end of all this our home will either look like a magazine cover, or a disaster zone. Things could really go either way.
In short, we are staying busy and staying positive. As our kids learned at camp this last summer- "Life can be crazy, wild and amazing." Never were truer words spoken.
Have a good week!
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| Baby bunnies make everything nice :) |
Good thing you have those bunnies to keep everyone calm. I'm glad you get to play your guitar more. Playing bass at church must be fun for you.
ReplyDeleteThey don't looked stressed. I sure do love you.
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