Dateline, August, 2023… It seems so long ago, so far away. Yet it was just a few years ago that Hawai`i and most of the planet Earth had to deal with that equal opportunity offender, COVID-19. At times it was so bad, so pervasive, and so divisive. Thankfully, even most renegades finally put their masks on, the virus flare ups died down, and then we got treatments as we’ve arrived at the new normal. I do look back and marvel at some of the coronavirus realities that truly made a vital and viral impact…
…Time spent in close quarters with others, getting along for sanity sake, actually listening when others were talking, working, eating, entertaining and schooling as a family. With so little fresh TV programming of note and no live sports, we managed to entertain ourselves for months and months. We even put down our digital devices often enough to listen to one another; yes, vanquishing trolls does grow tiresome. Houses became homes with improved family unity.
…Chivalrous tales of health care first responders putting their lives on the line daily with insufficient protection, putting themselves in harm’s way, but I shuddered at stories of how these very same saviors had their work hours cut back as the virus settled down, but elective surgeries and regular appointments took a back seat to a fear of medical facilities.
…Hordes of volunteers gathering, packing, and handing out food week after week in the hot sun simply because it was the right thing to do. Empathy. Volunteers smiled through masks, as there were no barriers and no judgment; it was humanity simply heeding the call, acting appropriately to help out neighbors they didn’t even know.
…Neighbors shopping and stopping by the homes of the enfeebled and elderly, satisfying physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. Retailers paying employees even while closed to help provide funds for sustenance and rent for worker’s families as businesses barely hung on, or didn’t. I even remember that 2020 winter window where wearing masks helped lower seasonal flu numbers, which saved additional lives. An unplanned benefit!
2020 is a haunting memory. Yet there were some outstanding moments and lessons learned. Relationships salvaged, families bonded anew, employees realized that loyalty is a two-way street. The list of good things that came out of that darkness gives me renewed hope, as long as we don’t suffer severe memory lapses.
Think about it…