By now, we have all heard the news. Quarantine is extended to May 30th and we have another month to find creative ways to cope with staying at home. In order to help halt the spread of COVID-19 and overwhelming our healthcare system, we citizens have been ordered to continue our self-quarantine.
Additional Measures
Additionally, we are now required, starting May 1st, to wear face covering protection while in public places. Some non-essential businesses may re-open for online pickup or delivery as well. Golf, for-instance, will be allowed to re-open as well. Hey, people need to get out on the green! Even with Quarantine, the governor is recognizing that we need activities to stay sane. And those activities, like golf, that keep us separate but together, can be good.
Staying Sane
Yes, we have a Quarantine. No, it’s not the end of the world. Ever wonder what it would be like to have this situation happen without Netflix, modern medicine, or the internet? Well, we don’t have to. We’ve run into several different plagues in our history, and living through them wasn’t nearly as cush as it is today:
- Black Plague
- Famously spread by fleas, this plague took out about 1/3 of the world’s population. And wouldn’t you know that different ideas about how it was spread, how to stop it, and what started it caused different reactions to the plague. Many people inadvertently spread the plague further because of this ignorance.
- The Great Plague of London
- With 8,000 people dying a week in the 16th and 17th centuries, there was not much refuge, even for the wealthy. Mirroring today, the wealthy fled to the countryside, to their vacation homes and escapes from the city.
- Flu Pandemic of 1918
- The United States was hit with a flu pandemic in 1918. Over 670,000 Americans died. Right at the tail end of the first World War, this was no easy task to deal with. Many Americans were still grieving over lost loved ones in the war, while the flu came for more.
Looking on the Bright Side
Yes, Quarantines suck. Pandemics are deadly and horrible. There are, however, a TON of positives for this happening to us in this day-in-age.
- Ventilators to help us breathe, and lots of them!
- Netflix, Hulu, Streaming Services
- The Internet
- Facetime
- More games than we could ever play
- The ability to stay connected to loved ones around the world
When dealing with these historical events (as this no doubt is), we need to be present and focus on the positives as much as possible. We have a lot to be thankful for in this world, and our time is short enough as it is. Enjoy and love your family and do your absolute best for everyone around you. It is the only way we can get through this together.
Thanks for reading, and as always:
“Not Everything’s Better When Wet”
