Point for Discussion:
Coronavirus is upon us – all of us – and while we can all readily share the negatives, it is important to focus on the bright side – the silver lining – what we will take forward with us because of it. And there are many bright spots, despite the obvious concerns.
Our Points of View:
(Laurie)
Coronovirus is something that challenges us today, and will likely challenge us again in the future, many times. We can not only learn from this experience, but we can take away the positives that are happening every day.
Following is my top 10 list of the bright sides of Coronavirus:
10. Cruise ships are evolving their practices, and could maybe move from a few hours to maybe a few days to thoroughly sanitize the ship before boarding and setting out again.
9. More are working from home, which could become a new trend – saves money and enhances balance in worker’s lives (where this is feasible).
8. Schools are developing online classrooms while schools are closed, and the Zoom CEO is offering their live meeting product to K-12 at no charge. This could become a trend, and the savings could be paid out to teachers in the form of higher pay (that they deserve).
7. This is the first time in a long time where we are seeing a bipartisan solution – putting people first (next time, we’ll just need to move a little faster!)
6. We are cleaner and more hygienic than ever before.
5. We will be better prepared in the future – the early warning signs are pretty clear.
4. No boundaries – no assumptions – nothing is off the table in terms of a solution.
3. No boundaries – no borders – it affects the human race across the globe – no excuses, no bias, just help. Not Millennials vs. Boomers, or China vs. the U.S., or any other “us” vs. “them” idea.
2. We could be on the way to a potential global protocol for immediate action for all nations – if/then – if disease infects people in a 2nd country, then we all implement a stage 1 protection, and so on.
And # 1. Scientists across the globe are working together (and are funded) to develop a vaccine and future treatment in record time. We have the intelligence and the will and the resources to do this!
Some guidelines:
- It is not about the money.
- It is not about a person.
- It is not about a single country.
- It is about protecting all of us.
There are so many more positives if we look for the good that will come out of this (while we are getting through this together).
(Lynn)
Covid–19 can be very scary for a lot of people. As a retiree on the cusp of a high risk category (my hubby is already there), we are hopeful that voluntary isolation and social distancing will keep us safe until this passes.
Laurie is right. From a macro perspective, there are many positives that will come from this short term situation. If we can get past ourselves and our own limited perspective on the situation. I am certain that can happen if global eyes are opened. This pandemic can be beaten by everyone working toward the same goal. It’s true, we are better and stronger together. The sooner the powers that be realize this, the sooner we can all get past it.
When this virus first appeared, it seemed like the media was exaggerating the risk. After all, the flu claims tens of thousands of lives every year. Since then, I am more aware than ever that our time on earth is short and we never know what could take us out.
But that’s all the dark side of this. I much prefer to look on the brightly lit positive side. We can’t get caught up in the hysteria. There is no reason to panic here. Our lives may be a bit different in the short term, but this, too, shall pass. Fear is a very negative emotion and not one we should allow to take hold. Much easier said than done. Deep breathing exercises can help here along with taking a step back and recognizing that we are all in this together. A realistic approach to getting through the next few weeks (setting routines for school or work from home) will bring calm to all of us and provide a foundation to work from.
There are so many things we can all take away from this experience. At a minimum, we can be grateful for being able to gather information to educate ourselves on the dangers of certain viruses and what we can do to protect ourselves.
Other than that, we need to take a step back and be thankful for what we will gain from this experience on a more personal level. And there is much to gain.
While many of us will be dealing with the added stress of finding child care in an isolated world or trying to pay bills with smaller paychecks, many will have an opportunity to de-stress for a while.
Families these days have so much going on. Between jobs and school activities, it seems as if everyone is constantly rushing from place to place. Voluntary isolation (perhaps involuntary if everything is closed anyway) will provide us with a chance to take a step back from our usual daily activities. We can take a deep breath and regain control, limited though it may be, of our lives. It may even provide us with a chance to reevaluate the choices we have made. Perhaps, with enough time to plan, we can restart activities working toward the things that would make us truly happy.
In the short term though, we should take advantage of the opportunity to slow down a bit and spend time with those that are most important to us, our immediate families. When is the last time you were able to take a pause from activities to have a real conversation? Let’s reacquaint ourselves while discussing how we feel about self-isolation and its impact on the lives we had become accustomed to.
Laurie has listed many potential positive outcomes from these current limitations and we would be living in a much better world if all of this happens. Most of it will. At a minimum, this will be a huge learning experience since nothing promotes learning more than understanding the mistakes we’ve made. And as much as those items will impact the world, our primary concern at this point needs to be family and friends, those areas that we each can impact.
So enough of the serious. Let’s have some fun.
In all of our togetherness, we can have some fun. Whether you like board games or video games, let’s play. Online gaming is great for social interaction as well as critical thinking skills.
Senior citizens, our most vulnerable population during this pandemic, need to be protected.
Unfortunately, this means we may not be able to spend time with grandparents or other extended family. This would be a great time to use FaceTime and ask them for stories of similar situations experienced during their lifetimes. This could help the rest of us to understand the temporary nature of this event and that it does not need to be scary while learning a bit about our family history. This is something our family didn’t do and I really wish we had taken advantage of the chance when we had it.
YouTube can help us learn a new craft or hobby. As can Blueprint. So many resources are available that can inspire us to try new things. Materials can be purchased online. The delivery services are all still working and will bring us what we need. We may, during this time, find a new true talent we didn’t know we possessed!
Catch up on some reading. The beauty of reading is that books can take us to a world outside of our own. It’s a chance to take a vacation without ever leaving home!
As a foodie, I am almost excited to run the pantry and freezer down to a few seemingly incompatible items. We will then be able to place ourselves in an episode of Chopped and come up with a spectacular dish made of only the wackiest ingredient combinations. We may discover a new family meal that we love…or not. But we’ll have some fun in the meantime.
Whatever your jam is, indulge a bit.
We need to take care of each other here. That should mean that we ensure our family, friends and community should be our primary concern. We’re Americans and compassionate. Let’s help each other get through this.
Our Question for you:
What are some of the positives that you are seeing as you protect yourself, your family, your co-workers and your social circles?
Sisters Talking on... 