In January... there was some news about another strain of a virus that at the time, they referenced it as the Wuhan virus, (then later it was referenced as coronavirus and now simply COVID-19), because it originated in Wuhan, China. It was mainly affecting China in late November/December and the US had not seen any cases. In mid January, around January 12, 2020, there was a reported case of Covid-19 in Seattle, WA. It was said that the person who had it, had been in Wuhan, China. From January 12, to January 29, Seattle became a bit of a hotspot with the number of cases growing. At the time, there was no testing being done for Covid-19, so it is difficult to know if the number of cases were accurate, but according to the CDC website, it looks as if there were around 50 plus by the end of the month. With the cases, growing, The President of the United States, shut the borders to/from China at the end of January.
Covid-19 is an enemy. It has perpetrated our society, and along with the media and the fear they have instilled, we are now living in a pandemic. Now... before I continue writing... I want to insert a little history here.... just for the sake .... of clarification on how this enemy came to be.
The news report stated that it had come from a “wet” market here. Now... I have not been to China, nor have I seen a “wet” market, but just the phrase bothered me.
(For the record... for those who do not know.... wet markets sell fresh vegetables, fruit, seafood and meat.) Think of it as a “farmers” market, that is probably more extensive with it’s open-air stalls. Some of these “wet” markets actually sell and slaughter live animals on site. It is rare for one to sell wild animals and their meat... but, the wet market in Wuhan (Huanan market) did have a wild animal section where you could purchase snakes, beavers, porcupines, and baby crocodiles among other animals. The term “wet” came to be because of the liquid within these markets; live fish splashing in tubs of water, or melting ice keeping the fresh meat cold, the innards of the slaughtered animals.... and another reasoning was that they deal with perishable goods (thus wet) instead of dry, durable goods. (One thing to note is that wild animals used for food can lead to disease. They have been proven to be linked to disease outbreaks in humans, including Ebola and HIV). It may not be a stretch to believe that the coronavirus may have jumped from animals to people. People that buy slaughtered wild animals is one way for an animal-borne disease to infect people. If these animals are already sick, or kept in dirty, cramped conditions like stacked cages, then again...viruses can be present when animals are under duress. These viral pathogens can intermingle, swap bits of their genetic code and even mutate that might make them more transmissible. For respiratory diseases, like coronavirus, the virus can jump to food handlers or customers through exposure to an animal’s bodily fluids. **** For disclaimer purposes, I am NOT a doctor, nurse or any field in healthcare. But... I did look up and do a little research on where this particular virus came from because I really wanted to know... how something from Wuhan, China could create the current situation that every American is living in.
Now... that we’ve had our history lesson.... which honestly... is something that we should know because as you begin to learn about this virus.... we all need to understand, it did not originate in the United States. It was contracted from an individual or individuals who were overseas and hopped on an airplane and brought it into the US.
Now... Just to give more backdrop... and again, just so anyone who may have been under a rock... knows, the House of Representatives had impeached the President of the United States. There were a number of hearings and then the House Judiciary Committee began on December 4th and on December 13th, it was voted on for 2 articles of impeachment. Now... typically, once articles have been voted on, the Speaker would send them within the next few days. Not this time and you’re probably wondering what this has to do with a virus... well.... I’m getting there. The Speaker sat on the articles and did not send them to the Senate for 15 plus days. The Senate trial finally began on January 16th and it ended on February 5th, when the President was acquitted. During the month of January and February, the news coverage was impeachment mania. There was very little information or reports on coronavirus with the exception to report what was going on in China.
Now..... by mid February, with the impeachment done, the news turned its attention to the virus but it wasn’t until March when it was apparent that Covid-19 was an enemy. On March 13, 2020, our life paused. Most of the school age kids were out for spring break. Little did they know, it would be the longest spring break they have ever had... and are still having as of this writing.
The world turned TOPSY TURVY and ... everything in your normal routine .... was no more. Life Paused.
The President of the United States declared a national emergency and the WHO and CDC confirmed that the coronavirus was a pandemic. NBA cancelled basketball games. MLB cancelled baseball games, the NHL season was cancelled, NASCAR cancelled races and in the days that followed, every major sporting event was cancelled or postponed including all PGA events, including the Masters and the Kentucky Derby. Following those lines.... conventions, meetings and events were cancelled or postponed. Major festivals were cancelled like Coachella, Stagecoach and more. It started with no events with more than 250 people, then a week later, it was no more than 50 people and now... it currently stands that you can not have a gathering of no more than 10 people.
In the weeks that followed, government mandates came down to shelter in place either from a local level or from a state level and that only ‘ESSENTIAL’ businesses could remain open. The definition of essential still bothers me, because to me... every business is essential if it is providing a paycheck to feed a family. What was essential? Grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals (but they were solely focused on Covid-19 for the most part) and car repair and parts. Churches were closed and services went online. There were several that got creative and did drive up services, but never in my lifetime, I had I heard of a church being closed.
Schools and universities were shuttered and kids... were left in limbo for a couple of weeks, and then distance learning and online classes were quickly put into play. For businesses considered non-essential, ZOOM and Go-to Meetings became the “new norm” as best as it could be considered a new norm. Parents were suddenly thrust home with their children, trying to work from their homes as well as home school. Topsy turvy and the world kept spinning.
Movie theatres, gyms, casinos, hotels, bars and many restaurants were closed. They limited restaurants to curbside pick-up, drive-thru or delivery for those that could manage it. People were without jobs and unemployment rose to an all time high and is currently still rising. State parks, campgrounds, beaches and parks were all closed. Those who had family members in the hospital, could not visit. Those who had family in nursing homes, could not visit. Basically, the only area where you could move about was your house, your yard or a walking trail.
Airlines and airports were empty and the few travelers that were flying were on “essential” business for the most part. Trains were stopped. Buses were stopped. There was nothing operating with any groups of people on it. The cruise line industry was hit hard... with several ships having massive outbreaks of the virus, which created, more panic.
WASH YOUR HANDS became a mantra, a series of sing-a-longs and every social media posts for weeks was about the 20 second hand washing tutorials. The grocery stores, became, empty due to the fear and the panicked who rushed to get toilet paper, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and suddenly.... whatever you thought you knew... you no longer knew.
Suddenly, our days were filled with daily briefings, the demand for ventilators, PPE equipment, testing, vaccines and answers. A coronavirus task force was put in place and suddenly and rapidly, testing ramped up and we were hearing from the director of infectious diseases every day. Dr. Fauci, became a household name as well as the recent muse of a SNL skit where he was played by Brad Pitt.
After the first few weeks went by, and the shock initially wore off, families began to realize the hardship of being in a pandemic and the mandates. Social distancing became the new “it” and staying 6 feet away from each other was the protocol. We kept hearing that we had to stay home to “flatten the curve”. We had to stop the virus in its tracks. Wearing masks became fashionable... and .. well, maybe not so much, but they are now mandated attire. Life paused and suddenly and abruptly, you became very aware that it would not go back as it once was... life had forever been altered and changed.... and with it... each of us.
For me, personally, my office is at my house, so working from home has not been that big of a hardship. I travel a lot.... so not being able to go and do what I would normally do... has bothered me. The big thing for me was having to postpone my conference until the Fall. It’s still a day by day learning. Our industry was shuttered... many of my colleagues lost their jobs or were furloughed. My customers and clients were sitting at a standstill. While we sat still, the coronavirus kept raising in numbers of those affected. I started weekly Zoom Happy Hours to connect with customers and clients, so that we could support one another. It was pure joy seeing their faces on March 25th... after we had been quarantined for 3 weeks. After the first one, we decided that we would have one every week.... just to have positivity and a way to check in and share information on our industry. We were all struggling and hurting and not knowing how or when... we would return to our lives.
I have not traveled since February 26th.. which is the longest I have gone in over a decade without a business trip. This week, is week 6 of quarantine. And this week... we started seeing a little light at the end of the dark tunnel we have been in. Some of the restrictions were eased.. with some of the retail stores being allowed to open but proper protocol - social distancing and in my small town, masks are required to enter. In some states, restaurants have started allowing dine in services again, but its too early to tell how, these new protocols will affect the overall dining experience.
Topsy turvy and we continue to hope and pray that we are to the flattening stage and that life can get back to normal. My niece is a nurse at our local hospital in the ICU step-down. For the last 4 weeks, I have worried constantly about her... her physical stress, her mental stress.... and emotionally, how taking care of those sick with this virus, might affect her. She sent me pics with her full PPE on and honestly, she looks like something in a futuristic movie.
Every day, my thoughts run the full gamut. Angry, confused, worried, sad, depressed, happy at times and then just stressed. I worry about the impact this will have on my grandkids. Lane, who is 11, is in the 5th grade and while he seems to have adopted to his “online classroom”, I cant help but think he would rather be at school seeing his friends. Little League Travel Ball cancelled and that is his heart and soul... and for me, watching him. John-Richard, is 18 and a senior. The last 2 months of his senior year spent in quarantine. A virtual graduation... and a small intimate one with only 5 family members and not the rest of his classmates. No senior skip day, no senior parties and his final year on the high school baseball team abruptly ended. Both have adapted, but again... emotionally, how are they really holding up.
As we move into May and looking at the summer, what will our lives look like in 6 months. Will our world be uprighted and the topsy turvy get back in sync. I’ve thought a lot about everything that has been going on and the society that we all live... and I am a firm believer in all things happen for a reason. I believe God is trying to tell all of us.... to stop, and pause. Maybe we’ve all moved away from Him to the point, that He needed to get our attention again. Maybe, we have put too much emphasis on things that honestly, get in the way of the things that should be the most important. Whatever the reason, during this life’s pause, I have found myself.... sitting on my front porch, enjoying the ending of every day and the canvas that God has created with beautiful sunsets. I have watched my flowers bloom and little birds hatch... and I have spent more time appreciating my life... and knowing how truly blessed I am. Hitting reset... sometimes isn’t easy... but all of us have the opportunity to take this as one big reset and do better in the days ahead.
We’ve lost life to the coronavirus. Many have been sick and many have recovered. I took the antibody test this week because there were many who had it and had no symptoms. With as much as I travel, and am around sick people on planes, I wanted to ease my mind a little. I haven’t gotten the results and even if I test positive that I have the antibody, there are no guarantees that you’re immune to it and won’t contact it again.
So for now.... we look forward to each day, with more and more of our lives opening back up... with caution and care. Every day, our new mantra is to wash your hands often, use hand sanitizer and wipes and limit where you go. Yes, we are still topsy turvy and life’s pause is still happening... but the one thing we can all do every day... is pray.
Stay safe and God Bless You.
What beautiful sunsets and flowers. So grateful for the work your niece does. May she stay safe and healthy!
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