March 29,2020
First morning thoughts. What if we were never able to hug one another again? Maybe one of us died, maybe we will have instilled within us a fear so deep that we are terrified to reach out, literally. What if COVD-19 continues to mutate at warp speed, becoming more and more virulent and destructive? What if? The list of thoughts and probabilities seems endless. Already, it looks like people feel they will run out of food. Despite shelter-in-place orders here on O’ahu, grocery store parking lots are at near capacity. Are all these people getting “essentials?” I wonder. Take that back: I am certain they are not. The militant in me wants to enforce stricter guidelines, but I see now how laughable that is; I have the blood of greed on my own hands. Perhaps the only difference is that I’m aware of it. It is not easy to sit with fear, to invite it in, to have a chat.
I had played out the trajectories in my own mind, before the cases mounted. I wondered why widespread (even random) testing wasn’t carried out weeks ago to get an early handle on this. Or why we kept letting planes go in and out to save our economy instead of our asses. And now, I see those far smarter than I have come to the same conclusions, likely before me, but I am only reading about it now. If we fail at social distancing, and COVID-19 spreads and infects relentlessly, let those who have recovered and have shown immunity go back into the workforce to perform the essential duties. Train them, pay them, do whatever it takes. At the very least, protect those who are out there putting their lives on the line.
I also woke up wondering why we are the only species on the planet that needs toilet paper.
