Try Hoarding Common Sense

Over the last couple of weeks as the Coronavirus cases have slowly increased in number … and the level of panic has been growing exponentially, I have attempted to offer some perspective. Once again, I’ll presume to gratuitously offer my advice to you, my friends, in the earnest desire of being helpful to you. There are those among us who confront the threat of deadly disease and are compelled to think in medical probabilities each and every day. They are our family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers. They battle chronic, debilitating, life threatening disease and bravely carry on in the face of it … because they must. They report to chemotherapy and then work. They submit to blood tests and diagnostic scans and return to making dinner for and parenting the children they fear they won’t see graduate or marry. Each day they cope with the prospect of not outliving the childhood of the little people they love and care for or the illness of a dependent spouse. Their fight is largely quiet, dignified, brave, and unnoticed.

For my part, I have cared for, walked beside, and supportively endured watching the silent, brave and dignified struggles of people I love with life threatening disease for over two decades. With all due respect, panic over a potentially lethal, likely seasonal virus that you may or may not contract and will likely outlive is insensitive, disrespectful and immature. We will all get through this together. In the interim, let’s all try not to be self-absorbed, insensitive, panicky, hoarding pricks about it.

You’ll get to Tuscany next year.