Historical Summer 2020 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
We humans are a pretty resilient species.
We have shown grit throughout our evolution, even before it was a popular term. We’ve survived natural disasters, famines, economic tsunamis, disreputable and foolish leaders, and now COVID-19. Or am I premature? Thus far we are surviving COVID- 19. Our grit isn’t genetic. Despite Hawkeye’s contention that personality traits are largely heritable – I have my dad’s sense of humor and my mom’s positive outlook on life – there’s no grit gene. Rather, it’s a learned behavior. Thousands of years ago we learned that a bonfire kept wild animals away at night. So fire is a good thing unless there’s too much of it.
We learned that staying put and farming enabled us to develop some immunities and create hierarchies. (Thanks to Jared Diamond for setting this out in my all-time favorite book, Guns, Germs & Steel.) We also learned to protect ourselves against bad leaders by revolts, voting, and keeping tuned to CNN. And now we are facing the biggest threat in our lifetime, not counting Donald Trump. Beyond its physical and economic tolls (4M cases world-wide and a U.S. jobless rate of 14.7% today), COVID-19 has changed how we work and play. Sheltered In Place isn’t a rock group.
We are required to wear masks when entering a bank! What’s next, beer for breakfast?
The roads are empty and our human interactions are six feet away from someone in a mask or they’re virtual. What a nightmare.
I wondered if everyone else is having this dream so I emailed friends and neighbors, asking their biggest surprise about shelterin-place. Their responses are somewhat reassuring.
But before you read further, note that this is not a representative group. No respondent has lost their job or contracted the virus yet. Eric was surprised that most people took sequestering seriously and thought the unrest and protests would start much sooner. Several people were surprised that the time at home has been positive. Sandy notes, “I thought I would be going stir-crazy by now, but I am at peace with sheltering in place.
I have stayed busy with work and various projects, and this really helps.” Similarly, Chris enjoys “spending time with my two teenage daughters who now need me to play sports, games and generally not go completely bored.” Ann also shares the upside, noting “How much fun I have had with my family – the many small projects together, baking, doing jigsaw puzzles, taking walks.” Family pets are the real winners because they’re never left alone, but other animals benefit too. Desiree, for example, is surprised how relaxing it is to interact with chickens, and I am sure they enjoy it too. Alas, having additional time doesn’t lead to efficiency. Mary says, “I’ve had a hard time realizing that I don’t have a schedule.” Diane is surprised by “How many projects I have listed to accomplish and how many have been so enjoyable to work on, even though I have not completed one.” Marty agrees: “Thinking I would get a whole lot of stuff done, but not really getting a whole lot of stuff done.” Linda reflects: “On one hand I have worked at home for over 11 years so nothing should have changed, however I am having a difficult time motivating and focusing.
On the other hand, I have loved not having as many scheduled commitments outside of the home, fewer meetings, fewer events, and guilt free time to be at home with the family.” Technology, a.k.a. Grace Savings (get it?), is invaluable in our functioning quasi-normally despite our shackles. “Zoom!” says Candace, “I had never even heard of it before, but now I use for social engagements, visits with grandchildren, interviews, and meetings with a volunteer group.” That’s true for Hawkeye too.
I was in 17 Zoom chats last week, I send out Zvites daily, and I completed teaching my UMSL class through Zoom. It’s far better than I imagined, but I miss being in the same room with my real students, not their Lilliputian versions.
In some ways, staying apart has brought neighbors together.
Some gracious souls on my block asked restaurants to deliver dinners each week, and many folks bring lawn chairs when they pick up the food and eat “together” (note those quotes). “I’m impressed with how friendly and outgoing neighbors have become,” says John, and Bob observes “how much more pleasant our surroundings roads and streets are with a vastly diminished amount of vehicular traffic.” Rachelle concurs, “Despite our distance, we are all staying connected.
The support for the community is tremendous!
We are going to get through this.” Jane captures the contradiction in which we now live: “How I can I enjoy how beautiful, peaceful, and neighborly this year’s spring is while at the same time as being so stressed it keeps me awake at night?” I also asked, “When do you think things will return to normal?” and there was a strong consensus that we don’t know, but it will take longer than we imagine and things will never be the way they were. Jim says, “My biggest surprise is
that most people quickly adapt to new situations and don’t lose their minds.
We are way more flexible than I thought possible.” Bob sees the glass as half-full: “I am not anxious at all to return to ‘normal,’ meaning a world exactly as it was pre-pandemic.
I hope and dream for better than the old normal, a world better than the one we lived in a couple months ago.
I want a new normal!” Hawkeye agrees.
In the meantime, he’ll see you on Zoom.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, Summer 2020.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2020_06.pdf, printed page(s) 8; PDF page(s) 8.
