March 2020. Spring is beginning to crawl in and take over for Winter. Daylight Savings Time is now in effect in the places that subscribe to it. Days are longer, the sun shows its face more frequently and the dirty gray piles of snow are slowly disappearing. So, why are we living in a world of fear?
One simple word explains it all. Coronavirus. 6 months ago this was just a word on the back of a can of disinfectant spray. Whoever reads those unless you are sitting in a bathroom without a phone? (Should I pretend a shocked face here?) Did anyone without medical training even know what it was?
Society Had To Change
In a matter of a couple of weeks, this same word has upended the entire world we live in. Entire countries are on lockdown. People are panic buying toilet paper of all things! The news is filled with admonitions to stay home unless it’s a necessity, to wash your hands often and not to touch your face whatever you do. Fear fills the airwaves. And TV. And the internet.
Some people are well within their right to be fearful. While the coronavirus doesn’t seem to affect the young or the healthy too drastically, those who have compromised immune systems, or those with multiple health conditions are at risk of dying from it. They need to take extra precautions to avoid catching it.
Staying home isn’t enough unless every single member of the family never leaves the house. But, there are still important errands that will need to be run, as well as jobs that can’t be done from home. If schools aren’t closed down or switched over to online-only, children are still out and about in the world. Even if they don’t have symptoms, they can carry it home. The fear is valid.
More Than Fear Of Infection
There are others with a different kind of fear right now. Fear of this virus has caused an unbalance in the availability of regular supplies. People with limited income or mobility are unable to shop for more than a few weeks to a month at a time. When the general public buys up enough of a product to last themselves a year or two, there’s nothing remaining for those who just want to make it through a week or two.
People need to feel they are in control of something. Perhaps that’s part of the reason they are buying 2 years’ worth of a paper product they could replace with multiple things if it came down to it. They feel a certain sense of security, and satisfaction at having done something when there’s so much else they can’t control.
Instead of focusing on all the wonderful things Spring brings, people are focused on whether they will be able to obtain household necessities, whether they will need to go to school or work, and on whether they will fall victim to this insidious virus. When things settle down again, we will regret not enjoying this wonderful time of rebirth while we can live it.
Further Division Of People
The virus has succeeded in further driving apart family, friends and neighbors who are already on opposite sides of national politics in an election year. Some people are blowing it off as just a side effect of the flu and not taking it seriously, while others are becoming almost obsessive-compulsive about taking precautions to avoid being infected. Both sides are looking at the other as if they are idiots.
When do we stop giving in to fear and hatred and realize that we are not enemies of each other? We are all humans equally. Despite differences in race, creed, political views, financial status, and any other issues, we are all still human beings on the same planet. We all have the same needs and desires.
Stop Being Disrespectful!
It’s time for us to stop being selfish and disrespectful. Especially during a time such a this, when pandemonium erupts from the pandemic, we need to open our hearts to our fellow humans. If you bought 500 rolls of toilet paper, see if your elderly neighbor might need a roll or two. Perhaps one day she will have something you might need. Are you a healthy person with a neighbor with health conditions that may require home quarantine? Run errands for him so he doesn’t have to leave the safety of his home.
We can help alleviate some of the fear just by being human. Recognize what the fear is and address it. We may not be able to completely stop this virus from spreading. But we don’t have to give it the power to spread fear.
Are you willing to do your part in stopping the spread of fear and helping to spread love instead?
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