A Time for Healing

It’s fitting that it’s spring, as (barring a powerful COVID-19 variant or world-class stupidity) we cautiously “re-open.”

I’ve watched many plants poke their heads out of the dirt, with the shy determination of a kid attending a first dance. I also recall an early spring day snowshoeing in some mountains in Oregon mountains and hearing sporadic loud gunshot-like sounds that turned out to be saplings, after months bent almost double under the snow’s weight, snapping to attention as the snow melted. Then there’s that whole groundhog shadow thing.

We see similar variety in our responses to COVID-19. I almost wrote, “among post-pandemic humans,” but people are still dying; the virus is still trying to morph into vaccine-resistant variants; our county is yellow, not green, in New Mexico’s color-coded system; vaccine-resistors might keep the virus around longer than necessary; many workers in our country are being exposed to possible infection in their jobs; and other countries (mostly poorer countries, as usual) haven’t yet acquired sufficient numbers of doses.

Just as the trees are budding and we’ve planted our first tomatoes of 2021, vaccinated people are dining with friends again indoors, major-league baseball teams are opening the season with partially-filled stands, March Madness is in full swing (with Loyola’s 101-year-old Sister Jean back in her seat watching, after battling for that right), the Belton Bridge Club board is discussing when and how to reopen, and the Black Box Theatre will soon perform before a live audience (albeit outdoors, in their delightful patio).

People seem cautiously relieved, more than joyful. I hadn’t greatly feared getting infected, although I consistently wore a mask in public and was careful, even delaying unnecessary ventures into stores. I’ve been playing pickleball outdoors, with others who also wear masks. I hosted radio shows, but observed the strict rules of the station, which for months was mostly closed and which still permits only telephonic guests. I went to court when needed, masked. But I damned sure felt pleased and relieved about getting vaccinated.

We have much healing to do. Many are grieving. Many who are grieving feel anger toward Republicans for not repudiating a leader who let more people die than necessary. Many who did not believe in masks or other precautions are angry at being forced to wear them. Some (e.g. Proud Boys, Boogaloo, and QAnon) who wanted to veto the election are now shouting that vaccines could wipe out humanity. On all sides, our varied pandemic choices haven’t so much created a bitter divide, as widened and deepened a divide that was already rancorous.

While for some folks the need to pull together (as in wartime) may have muted partisan sniping, for many it is otherwise. The majority of pickleball players fought the City’s rules and played maskless, often with masks at the ready if police or other officials appeared. Some on each side felt contempt or anger toward the other. Will that fade as quickly as our peach blossoms?

So we need to heal from our great losses and suffering, and from the cabin fever or even mental illness many have experienced, from stalled educations, sports development and careers, and devastated businesses. And we need to stay sensible and focused on getting through this together. Infections rose last week in 32 states (not including New Mexico), and Brazil just set a new high for new infections in a day.

Let’s not drop the ball while celebrating.

                                         – 30 –

 

 [The above column appeared this morning, Sunday, 28 March 2021, in the Las Cruces Sun-News, as well as on the newspaper's website and KRWG’s website. A related radio commentary will air during the week on KRWG (90.7 FM) and KTAL-LP. (101.5 FM – http://www.lccommunityradio.org/), and is available on demand on KRWG’s site.]

[Take a deep breath! Enjoy spring, despite dust storms, grief, and continuing awareness that “the Fat Lady ain’t sung yet.” And let’s each forgive ourselves our excesses in shouting what we thought about all this, and even consider that others’ excesses arose not from malevolence or some “evil” disposition, but from the same human emotions we and our families feel.]