Young And Old, We Need Each Other Now
by Bill Gouveia for the Sun Chronicle July 13, 2020
The coronavirus has inspired a lot of conversations about making important and difficult changes in our behavior and lifestyles — at least temporarily.
The coronavirus has inspired a lot of conversations about making important and difficult changes in our behavior and lifestyles — at least temporarily.
But people over 60 like me are finding they aren’t always in charge of their own situation. We are not always able to exercise a reasonable amount of control over our own risk of contracting and dying from this deadly and highly contagious disease. And that can at times be almost paralyzing in the fear it causes.
We can stay out of restaurants, not go to bars, avoid large crowds and family gatherings, and wear masks whenever we do have to go out — just like everyone is being asked to do.
But some of us still have to work. We still have to go to the grocery store. We can’t hermetically seal ourselves in a mayonnaise jar and hide under the porch for the next year or two (nothing like an old Johnny Carson reference to show your age).
So unless the “youngsters” do all those things too, this disease can still kill us. Young people are far less likely to actually get sick, but still prime candidates to carry the virus back to those who are more highly susceptible. The fact you may be more resistant is great, but does not decrease the risk to your parents, grandparents, extended family and older acquaintances.
The burden for the health of older Americans is still squarely on their own shoulders. They have to stay at home, wear face coverings, and do all the things our health experts tell us (even when our president flaunts and regularly ignores them). That’s on us. That’s our responsibility.
But it is also yours, younger generation. And we need your help.
It’s horribly unfair that schools and colleges have had to close. Many young people have been cheated out of what should be some of the best and most meaningful times of their lives. You should be free to live life to the fullest, go out and have a good time, enjoy your families and friends. There’s nothing wrong with the fact you’d like to go out to a bar and socialize, or play some hoop with a bunch of friends.
But please avoid all those things for a while longer. We hate to ask, but it affects us greatly. We’d like to live as long as possible, and to a significant degree that now depends on you helping to contain COVID-19.
Some believe this disease is part of “natural selection,” or “thinning the herd”. Perhaps we are supposed to die off to balance the scales of nature that were so badly disrupted by this virus.
We know you have sacrificed heavily and struggled to provide for your families during this difficult time. We understand what you have had to endure. We were young once, and frankly we think what you are going through really sucks.
But we still have things to contribute. We want to see our grandkids grow up. And to do that, we desperately need your help. We are not ready to pack it in.
Thank you for your sacrifices. When we can — the next round is on us.
Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and longtime local official. He can be emailed at billsinsidelook@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.
No comments:
Post a Comment