A Viral Windfall

Tom Oliver, Betty’s cousin and a good pal, recently came up to Potlatch to hang out for a couple days. When he’s in town he frequently stops by with his Lab, Fischer, who is Rucker’s brother. It’s a reunion of sorts and always enjoyable for us and the dogs. This last trip he said something that got me thinking about the impact that the last eighteen months has had on all of us. He mentioned that despite being fully vaccinated he was still wearing his mask in crowded places. His explanation centered on the fact that he had not had a cold or the flu during all this time. Ditto for me.

Lots has been written about the ways that the pandemic has possibly changed us and the American way of life. Hardly a day goes by when there is not an article about how the pandemic has changed our work patterns, our jobs, and our home life. The restrictions on travel and going out, the wearing of masks and the fear of contagion forced us to rethink what is really important and necessary in our lives. We reluctantly stumbled on the joy of solitude and discovered that we could learn new things and take on new projects.

I have found that I have less interest in going out to my favorite restaurants and stopping by my favorite watering holes. I actually look forward to planning and cooking meals at home now.  Doing so has given me a better appreciation of what my mother and the women in my life have done as a matter of routine for years. And it certainly has helped my monthly credit card bills.

Most importantly, I have done things that I might not have done otherwise. First of all, the pandemic drove me to my computer as it did many people. I was forced to become more proficient as I used it more, something that I am sure I would not have done otherwise. I also started writing for the first time since I left the university in 2000. Writing forces us to think and exercises our brain. In my case, I needed that.

As I’ve written here before, the pandemic has helped us gain empathy for others and an enhanced appreciation for what other people do to help us in our daily lives, be it the clerk at the local store, the UPS delivery person or the garbage man. On the downside, perhaps, the politicization of the pandemic revealed that we did not always know friends and acquaintances as well as we thought, that those things we shared in common could get shoved aside in the heat of politics. That’s sad.

As for the future, who knows. Whether these changes will be permanent or fade away is the question. I do know, however, that for a while, at least, I will continue to wear my mask in crowded places.