It's Been A Year...Now GET OUT!

 

The symbols have been surreal: Flaming dumpsters, toilet paper Christmas trees, Murder Hornets, A nearly empty Times Square on New Years Eve, Netflix binges, Conversations in lawn chairs six feet apart, Sports Stadiums with cardboard cutouts in the stands, Family Gatherings via Zoom, Masks, Face Shields.  A most bizarre year to say the least.

The human costs of this year have been staggering, leaving scars that will remain with us for many years.  Millions dead worldwide, many more millions infected and dealing with a diminished quality of life, collapse of small businesses, social systems, neighborhood connections and a fundamental trust in the power of our government to keep us safe. Families are still separated from loved ones, lifelong friends cannot get together, and everyone must still operate under a code of separation and isolation in everyday encounters for the near future.

The stories of dedication from First Responders and Medical Personnel have reminded us that there are Heroes among us. But this has taken an enormous toll on them, forcing them away from their families and leaving them feeling overwhelmed and helpless in the face of this monster, especially in those cases where the virus could have been prevented with simple precautions.

January 1st is just a date.  It looks no different than the day before, or the 365 before that.  But it marks a seismic change in our attitudes and expectations.  In our minds, we have crossed from a landscape of fear to one of cautious optimism.  A new calendar means new possibilities for recovery and hope.  The rollout of two powerful vaccines felt like a much deserved Christmas present to the world. We are desperately hoping that our salvation lies in a couple of hypodermic needles.  Will this strategy work?  According to the scientists it will if we can get the vaccine into enough people to create a "herd immunity" and stop the virus and its mutations from further spread.

What will January 1st 2022 look like? Will we have been able to resume life as we knew it prior to March 2020? I suspect that even if the virus is brought under control it will be a very long time before it leaves our collective memory.  The casual hug or handshake will be hesitant.  The assembly of a crowd watching a concert or a baseball game will make us feel uneasy.  Large gatherings among strangers will send up red flags.  Even boarding a plane or a train or a bus packed with strangers will feel uncomfortable.  We can't easily forget the devastation of this silent killer.

I desperately hope that among the lessons learned from this horrible experience are the fragility of our humanity and the need to be vigilant.  We especially need to be protective of the most vulnerable of our population.

So, I cautiously raise a glass of optimistic cheer for a year of hope and promise while opening the door to kick out a year of devastation and sorrow! 

Happy New Year!