Problem/Solution

"God helps those who help themselves."  My mother.  Every time I complained about something.

"May you live in interesting times."  Curse.  Think about it.

"If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger."  Curse?  Maybe.

But frankly?  I'm strong enough now, honestly.  And so are all my friends.

Human beings look for meaning in the things that happen.  I do it myself.  I adopt meaning when none seems obvious.  I choose meaning when things don't make sense.

Like my brother's sudden death from coronary artery disease.  Why him?  Why not me?  I was older, I ought to have gone first, all things being equal.

So why, then, am I still here?  In spite of my own 'adventures' with coronary artery disease, living with cancer.

Bottom line?  I have no idea why I am still here.  None.

So I need to find meaning, a purpose for my continued existence. 

With shutting down my business and turning a significant number this year, by surviving everything life has so far thrown at me...I choose to accept the role of mentor.  Elder.  Cheer leader.  Supporter.

I choose kindness.

We are living in extremely 'interesting' times.  I would love a little 'boring'.  But what I want and what is actually happening are not going to coincide for a while.

So I urge you, all of you who have it, to recognize the privilege of being able to self-isolate in order to flatten the curve and take some of the load off the medical system.  To survive.  To make it through this time.

I choose to help where I can, how I can, in whatever way I can, even if it just means a few positive emails or messages to check on folk.

Because right now?  If you are not part of the solution, you will be part of the problem.  And that isn't me playing politics.  It is me listening to the scientists, the medical people struggling to help people who are infected with the virus, but also?  All the other people who are having medical issues unrelated to the virus but can't get help because of the virus.

If we continue to see increased rates as being evidenced by countries like the US of A, we are going to see huge numbers of deaths that are horrible.

When this is over, we need to recognize that low income jobs are essential - the people who supply cleaning, food, medical - and by that I mean right down to the literal ground - farmers, truckers, warehouse workers, shipping clerks, cashiers - all of these people need to have living wages.  All human beings need universal health care.  Not private insurance.  Not privately owned hospitals.  Not boards of directors and share holders who profit by people being ill.

Huge corporations have shown their colours.  Since I rarely buy much, I would love to boycott them, but I already don't shop there.  But I will remember.  The airline who begged for bailouts promising not to lay off staff before Sept. 30.   Then, once they got the bailout?  Sent notices to staff that they were laying off thousands after that date.

I already refuse to shop at Wal-Mart unless I have no other choice.  My choice now will be to do without.

I thank everyone who is finding this time of isolation difficult - but doing it anyway.  We must listen to the medical professionals who say to stay away from other people.

One bit of good news yesterday was that for the first day new cases in BC was lower than expected.  Dr. Henry cautioned that this is only just the glimmer of hope, not a license to go party tonight.  It will be at least two weeks before it can be said with any certainty that the curve is actually flattening, and caution must continue to be used.

Be part of the solution.  Not the problem.