Lessons from Quarantine
Lessons from Quarantine
Here’s a few things I’ve learned during this recent season of life.
Food delivery apps are good. Interestingly enough, we had never used such apps before this year. (Yes, yes, I know, welcome to the 21st century!) This is not the place to argue the comparative merits of DoorDash, GrubHub, and UberEats. Let’s just say that I’m just thankful that technology has advanced to this point in time for the year of Covid.
Taking a step back… Internet is good. Of course, I recognize that the internet is rife with evil. But because of it, we can video chat with family and friends, attend worship services, often work full time jobs, tour the world, and engage in innumerable educational opportunities without leaving our home. Imagine living during the Black Plague and having to self isolate in a one-room mud thatched hut with 10 children, 2 pigs, and 15 chickens. Ok, so you probably wouldn’t be isolating, you’d be diffusing holy water, mumbling Latin mantras, and fighting off chicken-pillaging knaves. But my original point is not defeated by my lack of historical accuracy. At least in my opinion.
Which leads nicely into… Medicine is good. Only a few short decades ago, a simple fever could be a death sentence. Today, we have an amazing medical and scientific community that can research and develop treatments for novel diseases barely a year after they come into existence. And yes, I’m aware of the many grievous shortcomings in today’s medical system. I’m just glad I can do more than dump holy water on my 8 year old when he’s sick.
Community is good. While enduring two back to back quarantines, we have been showered with concern from our church community, neighbors, extended family, friends, and co-workers. Sure, they couldn’t actually interact with us in the flesh, but they left groceries, meals, texts, and calls. Community is one of those things that you think you can do without until you can’t. I’m so glad we’ve been in a position to have it when we needed it. And I grieve for those who (often through no fault of their own) lack it. May I reach out to those who don’t have the support of a community during this difficult season.
Being imaginative is good. Let’s just say that during our quarantine period, my kids have been Roman soldiers, astronauts, American Indians, paleontologists, miners, archers, shipbuilders, cowboys, Irish folk singers, hobbits, and Jedi knights. And I know I’ve missed several.
Yard is good. Some of the list above can be achieved indoors. But others do much better outdoors – for example, American Indians, cowboys, or Jedi knights. And please don’t try being a paleontologist, miner, or archer indoors. And if you’re going to be an Irish folk singer for extended periods, I’d recommend outside, too.
Being thankful is good. All of the items above are reasons to be thankful. And many of them I would not have been nearly as thankful for without Covid. And, yes… as satisfying as that is philosophically, I will still be very glad when the pandemic season is over.
More from Tim Carr
- Virginia’s Native Allspice
- Wet and Wicked Weather in Western Virginia – Part 3
- Virginia’s Earth-shaking Events
- Roanoke – the Star City Game
- Saving the Planet, one Semi-Immortal Toyota at a time
- Chic(k) Lifestyle – Part 1
- Books to Read Aloud – Caddie Woodlawn
- 5 Random Items We No Longer Want To Do Without
