Listen – you’re sick of hearing about COVID, I’m sick of hearing about COVID, and I’m sure everyone across the country is sick of hearing about COVID.
But the numbers have been skyrocketing for the last couple of weeks and it’s no longer that thing in the corner that you can just ignore in the vain hope that it’ll just go away on its own.
We’ve actually had it pretty well since the pandemic blew up back in March. On top of that, the Central West portion of the COVID map that the government reports information on every day has seen consistently low numbers. In fact, it’s the lowest-ranking zone on the map. Granted, those numbers are again trending upwards, but we got to take the positive where we can find it, am I right?
However, the events of the last week have set us back a bit. One high school in Outlook has switched entirely to online learning for the next two weeks after what I believe are two positive cases of COVID-19. As well, with the new heightened restrictions, it almost feels like a regression back to that period of April/May before we’d heard anything about a Phase 1 Plan.
As is the case whenever something “controversial” happens in this town, people get on their phones and sit back a computer screen and get their two cents out in the cyber world, dazzling the rest of us with their “inside scoop” on their version of the truth. People demand answers, they point fingers, and it all just comes off as a headache-inducing hodge-podge of words and opinions.
What do we do now that COVID is without question in our community? Well, to tell you the truth folks, this new reality doesn’t really change my daily life as much as it may for others. I certainly won't speak for anyone who may be reading this, but my rule of thumb since the pandemic broke has been to just assume that it's already in the community in one form or another (as it has been since March, when I was told there were three cases), so just practice your due diligence.
Wear the mask, keep your distance when possible, keep those hands washed and practice good overall personal hygiene, and well, you know the drill by now.
It's also important to know that while we wait for a vaccine to be developed and eventually made available, COVID isn't going anywhere. It's not going to be eradicated, and it's not going to be neutralized and blown away from existence. It made its debut in 2020 and it's here in North America to stay, just as a laundry list of other diseases & viruses have done in our world for generations. Cure? Please. Do they have that cure for cancer yet? How about AIDS? No. It sucks, and it's horrible that this virus has claimed thousands of lives in one way or another, but it's just something that we live with now. Sorry, but that's just the truth. You don’t have to like it, but I’m just giving you facts here.
So, while we DO live with it, it's never been more important to be compassionate with our fellow human beings and help lift each other up. I know people are scared and they just want answers from experts who don't have them right now, but I do know that pointing fingers and making assumptions in something like a Facebook chat group doesn't solve anything or move us forward. Yeah, it's probably entertaining to the gossips who need something to read and maybe even a little cathartic to those who just need to vent, but outside of that, nothing's really being accomplished.
The fact is that we could follow ALL the rules, guidelines, restrictions, and anything else our elected officials and health experts advise, and COVID could STILL show up in the community. It's not a perfect system by any stretch, and in fact sometimes I think there are probably more holes in it than Swiss cheese, but it's all we got and we need to have a little blind faith in a positive outcome.
I know people are scared and we’re all just looking for answers that aren't there yet, but I also have to say that I really fail to understand the position of COVID doubters and all the "Plandemic" conspiracy theorists, particularly at such a crucial time in all of this when doctors and health care workers across Canada are slapping people in the face with the reality of the situation, begging for elected officials to do more. I suppose the level of commitment to a certain narrative by the doubters is *somewhat* admirable, at least in a twisted sense, but at the same time, I also find it to be pretty horrific.
In the end, I guess you just have to take care of you and your own, and let others do their own thing and go their own way.
We have a road ahead of us, and I know Christmas is going to be different for many of us in just a few short weeks, but I know we’ll get there. Be good to each other, support your community, and do what you need to do. What's that saying on that meme floating around? "We stay apart so that when we gather, no one is missing"? Maybe some of us need to keep that in mind.
Be smart and do your part.
For this week, that’s been the Ruttle Report.
