Thoughts in the time of COVID-19
Thursday … Day 7 of the California lockdown … As of this morning, the report is that worldwide nearly five hundred thousand people are infected and more than twenty-one thousand have already died.
I saw a headline asking “What caused this pandemic?” written by a Time magazine reporter. I read the entire article and the list of causes boiled down to just one cause … US ! Not the USA. US. All of us. Too many of us.
Earlier, while reading on a genealogical site, I came across a paean noting a man who, in four generations, had over a thousand descendants. I once worked with a woman who in three generations had close to three hundred descendants (not counting in-laws). And just a mile or so north of where I live I know of a woman who had eight living children, was pregnant, and was just over thirty which left her a decade with a still viable reproductive system.
… and all of this appeared to be laudable.
Not to me. But if I said so aloud I was attacked, scolded, shunned.
A pandemic has been prophesied over and over … in scientific journals, books, magazine articles, songs, TED talks, movies, …
A scientist who wrote a book titled “Zero Population Growth” back in the 80s was essentially discredited. Does anyone remember his name without googling it?
Population growth resulted in too many people which led to the emphasis on “I’ve got to get all I can get as fast as I can in order to protect me and mine … regardless.”
Think about it.
Money greed … a few much too wealthy.
Status greed … admiration based on superficials.
Space greed … cities which make the tenements of turn-of-the-20th-century Manhattan look spacious … and massive destruction of nature so the few can make more wealth building more “tenements” so they can be the “company boss” to whom the others “owe their souls” (a nod here to Tennessee Ernie Ford).
Food greed … a population in which 10% or less are overfed and overweight and the others are either getting by or starving.
And all this has led to climate change which, hand in hand with too many people, is releasing unknown life-forms, which had previously been held in stasis but which are now able to attack people who are so tightly packed together, living in increasingly unhealthful environments composed of pollution. And this new life form is able to replicate nearly unobstructed.
“What caused this pandemic?”
WE DID.
End of day 7 rant …
~~~
Something about the current situation came up in a conversation with Mark about amateur radio. In our area, there has been sporadic talk about the function of amateur radio in today’s world. Of course, that is now yesterday’s world. So is there a role for hams in today’s world?
Part of the agreement allowing free use of frequencies is that such use be paid for with Health and Welfare services. You’ve heard me talk about this in reference to the radio club’s events.
I just received notice of the cancellation of the second of the events for which we have supplied Health and Welfare coverage in years past. I fully anticipate them all will be cancelled. So what do we do instead?
During the regular club net this evening, I intend to volunteer to be listening on air every afternoon at 1500 just to say “hello … how are you?” and to be a center for coordination of action(s) to fill any needs which may arise. I can’t be the one doing shopping or deliveries, but I can be the one offering information and/or arranging coverage.
Maybe it will trigger a resurgence of interaction, and maybe not. I’ll let you know.
~~~
We’ve been consistently having rain with light snow. In spite of the interesting weather, the red maple is trying, the apricot bloomed, the plum is putting out leaves, Tyler has sown vegetable seeds indoors to be ready to transplant in five or six weeks, and daffodils are sprouting with an occasional bloom.
The witch hazel and new elderberry arrived and are here in my room awaiting their move outdoors when I am able to get the area ready. The herb plants will be arriving next week.
Oh well …
~~~
And speaking of plants … just before the lockdown began I bought a miniature rose plant to add to my indoor garden and to supply dried rose petals. I did just as advised and avoided watering too heavily. But it began drying up and dropping leaves and buds.
Tyler worked for a landscaper back in New York, so I asked him for advice/information. He said he had a similar experience once and told me to just wait. Well … the poor thing went from looking poorly to looking terrible to looking dead. I kept it damp, not wet, and held onto hope. And surprise of surprises, as I looked at it just now I see new leaves appearing.
Of course, it still looks poorly but now I have hope.
~~~
This stay-at-home time is being filled for me with Landowners’ Association stuff as well as radio stuff. When I finish here, I will begin drafting an outline for an interview, for broadcast on the local community television, with the neighbor who is handling the fire prevention preparation activity around here.
Then I’ll get to work on creating a report on Ranch activities, in lieu of the forbidden face-to-face meeting of the Association Board of Directors, followed by the report on cancelled (or not) radio events followed by calls to some friends to see how they are faring. Somewhere in there I’ll make a meatloaf, do some yarn plying, and maybe knit a bit.
~~~
I’ve mentioned before that we have begun having noticeable earthquakes within 500 miles of our volcano. We not only have the volcano, but we are in the area where three major land masses are in collision and which also contains the Yellowstone super-caldera.
Latest earthquake was a 6.5 in Idaho about 200 miles west-northwest of Yellowstone.
~~~
Here we are in the 13th day of the California Shelter-at-Home order.
May we live in interesting times.
The following is paraphrased for the current situation …
Life is meaningful and everything that happens brings a lesson. This means that if one stubs his toe he should not get angry at the stone he tripped over, but he should ask himself, “Why did this happen?” Perhaps the current lesson is that we should watch what is happening and think about where we have been going and what we have been doing.
So … ‘til next week … stay safe.