As I write this, the World Health Organization (WHO) has just declared it a pandemic, citing “alarming levels of spread and … levels of inactivity”. There are currently over 120,000 documented cases worldwide and over 1,000 here in the United States. I’m sure if you read this you’ll find these nostalgic numbers. Things are moving at full speed. To illustrate: three weeks ago, we had not even heard of “self-quarantine”. Miriam Webster now catalogs it in the highest percentage of searches.
You could say the media is exaggerating the crisis to get eyeballs and clicks. We may be right. However, there is also a legitimate cause for concern. Between unreliable information flow; the natural fear we all have of the unknown; as well as the feeling that we are leaves in the rapids which are driven without control; It is normal to have to keep at bay the disgusting feeling of panic that rises in our throats.
As the Serenity Prayer says, “God, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to change something.” This condition therefore does not appear in the “Change the things I can change” column. The best advice is “remember to breathe”. Delete for a moment. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Let him out. Repeat. Color it “acceptance”
What will our society look like after the virus?
And yes, it will be gone. There will be a morning after. Most of us will be there when the sun rises that day. If we use China as a model, the scourge – if handled well (and that’s a topic for another column) – will take about eight weeks to start.
I’m sure there are vanguard minds bigger than mine right now, although I think there are already some noticeable consequences.
According to Wikipedia, “social distancing … (a method of) controlling actions … to stop or slow the spread of a highly contagious disease.” As we all know, it is implemented by reducing and canceling large gatherings such as concerts, sporting events, conventions – not to mention schools, churches and businesses. Cities have banned gatherings of more than 250 people. Italy practically locked the doors and threw away the keys. New Rochelle, NY has a one-mile safety zone. All these measures are carried out with the aim of flattening the “expansion curve”, an ambitious objective but with side effects.
We travel less, even in our own cities. We no longer stay at home and only connect with those we trust.
Sadly, due to the perceived need, we’re even redesigning hugs and handshakes and swapping them for punches, kicks, elbows and bows.
Culture has been defined as “this is how we do it here”. Our culture – for better or worse – will not do “things” as we did before this disease. It won’t look the same or feel the same even after the coronavirus has been banned in the same place in history as polio, SARS or the Black Death. We will do things differently
As humans, we are wired to be with others. That’s why we build close relationships, build communities, build cities. This epidemic puts us in conflict with our nature and causes sadness and internal conflicts that will last a long time. This will show that we are more physically and emotionally isolated; Nest more often, use virtual links more often than you currently do, and look for a connection that we can’t safely get in public. Fear and suspicion of “the other”, which is already a great difficulty in society, is growing.
You may or may not agree with my calculations, but as a seasoned optimist I would like to believe that this terrible time may possibly be – the fact that – whatever our color – our sex, our gender preference , our political inclinations, even the country we live in – we are one. Each of us loves and fears and does our best. In a minute in New York, however, everything can change without us having to do anything.
I know that if we find ways to help and support each other, we have a better chance whatever the future.