Today is a beautiful, sunny day. My news feed on the other hand is terribly dreary, and the contrast between what I see out my window--green trees, spring shoots, a sunny sky--and what I read happening in other places couldn't be starker.
Fortunately, the virus isn't that deadly. Most of us will survive.
Unfortunately, the virus isn't that deadly. Getting people to change behaviour based on an unseen threat is a challenge and the stupid and opportunistic endanger the rest of us.
Meanwhile, I've dusted off my webcam and started familiarizing myself with Zoom, first for my neighborhood association and next for my book club. Online meetings I am finding aren't bad. I can half dress up with a nice shirt and I don't waste any kilowatts in the car. On the other hand there are distractions. Lucy the dog started yesterday's Zoom meeting with a barking rant, a problem I dealt with by shutting a couple of doors. Another downside is all the other screens on my desk begging for attention; I'll have to either move them out of sight or move them so it's less noticeable when my eyes wander off.
But all in all it's lucky us, self distancing is easy aside from a weekly trip to the grocery store. And also lucky us, the Canadian government doesn't labour under any illusions of exceptionalism nor is it preoccupied with the stock market. Instead our surely-exhausted officials all seem focused on doing what needs to be done to save lives, to keep homes over heads and food on the table and jobs once this is over. Which it will be, I tell myself, though I wonder when and how things will have changed, what will be the lessons and will we heed them. Interesting times indeed.