“I’d love to change the world, but I don’t know what to do.”
The above quote is from the refrain of the 1971 song, “I’d Love to Change the World” by 10 Years After. Man, wouldn’t I love to change the world? And you know, in this case, even if I WERE king like my column says, I couldn’t.
Last week, I referred to COVID-19 as the elephant in the room, and I chose to ignore it by not calling it by name. Well, guess what, this week the elephant sat down in the room and he is starting to spread his legs out. We can’t ignore the elephant now.
Yesterday, I posted a poll on SCDN as a wellness check of our readers. I asked how you were holding up. Of the 340 that answered as of a couple of hours ago, a whopping 75 % of you said you were well, but concerned about others. Now that is encouraging. Not only is it heartwarming to know you are well, but I am also humbled and appreciative of the fact that so many of you have the desire to help others.
The next category is probably where most of us will be soon: 12 % said, “This is starting to get to me.” We will all likely be in that category before long; life is changing for the next few weeks, if not months.
A handful said they were doing great, but a near equal amount said they were either nervous or devastated. Let’s reach out by phone or social media to those who are hurting.
Those who are hurting need never be ashamed to say so. I was asked by a reader recently how I always managed to stay upbeat. I was flattered by that, but the truth is, I only stay upbeat approximately 90% of the time. I am a social creature and being shut away from a lot of people I love- especially the ones that call me Papaw Dale- is very tough. However, I would never want to jeopardize their health.
The previously mentioned song in this article says, “I’d love to change the world, but I don’t know what to do- so I’ll leave it up to you.”
So, it is left up to us. What are we going to do? Former President Theodore Roosevelt said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” That’s a nice place to start. What can we do though? Below I have endeavored to innumerate a few things we can do to help us all to get through this.
1) Social distancing– it just makes sense. Whether it is airborne or transmitted by touch, the further we stay away from those outside of our house, the safer everyone will be.
2) Wash your hands frequently– especially if you have pumped gas, handled groceries, retrieved the mail…in addition to times, we’ve been told to wash our hands since childhood.
3) Stay at home if, and when, you can.
4) If buying groceries and supplies– DO NOT BUY MORE THAN YOU NEED. The supply chain is there if you do not hoard.
5) Check on the people you love, but keep a distance from them, especially the elderly and small children. Delivering to Grandma’s door without touching her may seem cold, but it’s in her best interest.
6) Let’s re-invent talking on the phone and sending cards to those without social media. Take advantage of technology and actually talk instead of text. Facetime those you miss for video chats.
Encourage each other. We have a relatively simple role to play in this crisis, but our role is a very important one.
“Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow, It’ll Soon Be Here”- Fleetwood Mac
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVmyRmvQo9s[/embedyt]