Thursday, March 12, 2020

PLEASE SAY IT ISN'T NO


Knock, knock, who's there?
Like every toddler, few of us like to be told
"NO". Hence it's unnerving whenever we're
stopped dead in our tracks. Prohibited from
doing whatever we want whenever we feel
the need. Yesterday we discovered that all
local assisted living facilities were in lock
down mode. Thus when Frank tried to visit
his one hundred and one year old Dad - the
welcome mat was pulled out from under him.
Leaving a seventy plus man to suffer from
parental separation anxiety for the first time
since kindergarten. And while such isolation
tactics may be good for all, it's not pleasant.
Closed minded
Freedom is the foundation of our democracy.
Therefore it's no wonder that some freak out
when our options are limited. Yesterday I
heard several folks suggest that our current
Coronavirus crisis was simply a Democratic
party plot. An attempt to pull our country
down in order to gain a competitive edge
in the electoral process. How sick is that?
Especially given Italy is totally shut down -
closed to the world at large. As downtown
New Rochelle is - a bustling upper middle
class enclave just miles from Manhattan.
Coronavirus is if nothing else color blind.
Closed door policy
Almost every adult considers themselves to be
exceptions to the rules. Resisting any attempts
to limit their options for the common good.
However this time it may be impossible to
shift the odds in one's favor. In part because
reckless self indulgence rarely does anybody
any good. Which means that at least for now,
each of us must willingly limit our options for
the common good. Fortunately most of us can
entertain ourselves in the interim. Obvious it
is better to risk boredom rather than spread
pestilence. So even if it's rather limiting and
at times frustrating, for now it's best to nest.