Buzz
While I aim to avoid unnecessary gloom, it’s essential to face reality. If a venue announces a two-week closure or an April event is pushed to May, here’s my take: Don’t rely on those timelines.
When my children’s school announced a two-week closure, I took it to mean 'closed indefinitely.' While they needed a date for reevaluation, that wasn’t my focus. Naturally, the closure was extended, and I noticed parents frustrated by the shifting dates, as if clarity was guaranteed. Let’s be honest—we’re navigating uncharted waters.
This pandemic is unprecedented, and so are the closures and stay-at-home mandates. Unlike the flu season, which follows a predictable pattern, no one knows how this will unfold. All we know is that it’s just beginning.
In February, there was hope that closures might be brief. The New York Times reported last week that if everyone could stay completely still for 14 days, maintaining six feet of distance, the epidemic could halt. However, society didn’t freeze. Schools stayed open in some areas, non-essential businesses remained operational in certain states, parties continued, and essential activities like emergency medical visits persisted.
Nobody knows what’s going to happen. We only know that it’s just getting started.
The future remains uncertain, but it’s evident that the epidemic curve is still rising. Regardless of the tracker or testing accuracy, every graph shows an upward trend, and cases won’t suddenly drop to zero. This situation will persist for some time.
The duration is unpredictable, and it’s too early to rely on specific forecasts. Schools might reopen in September—or they might not. Testing efforts may eventually identify the true number of coronavirus cases, enabling effective contact tracing to curb transmission, similar to South Korea’s approach. Even in the best-case scenario, a return to normalcy will take time.
We’re in a position where planning ahead is nearly impossible. The best approach is to take things day by day. While drafting this, I came across Liz Neeley’s insightful article on how to discuss the coronavirus with loved ones, which references a famous quote from former POW James Stockdale:
Stockdale later
credited
his survival to his unwavering belief in a positive outcome, contrasting himself with those who repeatedly set deadlines like, ‘We’ll be free by Christmas.’ When Christmas passed, they shifted to Easter, then Thanksgiving, and back to Christmas. Over time, their hope faded, and they succumbed to despair.
If Stockdale’s perspective holds true, accepting the unpredictability of our circumstances might be key to enduring them.
