The suspense build-up from waiting to be a part of life on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic has been mind-bending. Most of us have never experienced anything like the hand we were dealt in 2020. Unable to spend time with loved ones, unable to enter the grocery store without proof of age, unable to find toilet tissue at Costco were all on the list of things we couldn’t do. And that list of limitations was crazy long. But as we soon discovered, the limitations imposed by leaders were necessary. The good news is that majority of us have endured – or survived – long enough to reach the other side. What a relief?
In May 2020, I dreamed and wrote to you about days to come. The days when automobile drivers in parking garages would acknowledge one another while seeking a parking space. There was also that dream of experiencing polite lane change behaviors by all when driving on the freeway. I also shared with you the dream I had about strangers acknowledging one another while simply walking down the street. You’ll recall the “eye dance” method of communicating I referenced. You know, it happens when our eyebrows rise and our eyes widen as we share a friendly, muffled, hello with a stranger. They can’t see the broad smile behind the masks we’re wearing. I suggested it’s possible that somewhere in my hometown, and maybe in yours, the things I was dreaming about would indeed become the new reality. It had the power to be the dawn of a new age. Sadly, in my neighborhood – and in the area at-large, there seems to be a return of the aggressive and sometimes unfriendly behaviors we all became too familiar with and despised – pre-pandemic. The truth is, those behaviors didn’t disappear, they simply retreated, much like we all did while escaping the dreaded Coronavirus.
As of today, in late April 2021, approximately 42.1% of the population aged 16 or greater have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. That’s the data provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Health. I have no idea what the other 57.9% are waiting for. The vaccine is available.
As I ponder the big news stories of the week around the United States and here in Long Beach, I believe we have to acknowledge what is really happening in our world. Aggressive attitudes and behaviors have returned to daily life. The pressure of not being able to identify personal coping strategies has seemingly taken over various segments of our population. Intolerance of many kinds has begun to resurface as a norm. And now, as we near the end of the pandemic, we’re behaving as if there’s a giant switch to turn on – much like the experience we have following a power failure. If we’re not careful, those without some form personal surge protection will blow up, collapse, or simply fall out of step as soon as the rush to reopen our world gets underway.
So, what is personal surge protection? Think of it as that place you escaped to during the height of the pandemic. For some, it was a daily walk on the beach, a trip to a public garden, or a ride on your bicycle through a neighborhood other than your own. The point is, you discovered things to do for yourself – or others. You found peace.
My family and friends, I’m so glad that we created the time to communicate with one another following our last in-person visits back at the end of February 2020. The world changed immediately following that date. But one thing remained the same. Our love for one another remained strong. In fact, it proved strong enough to endure the crushing impact COVID-19. I have a feeling that our love of family and friendship will remain strong in the years to come.
What a relief.
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