Right about now, many of us are realizing that the stay-at-home orders may go away, but that doesn’t mean that the Covid-19 virus has run its course and the world is safe again. I recently heard an expert on the news say that we are only starting the second inning of a 9 inning Covid ballgame. (Insert scream!)
Another metaphor I’ve heard used lately is that we are running a marathon, not a sprint. Are we truly up for running either?
I am not a runner, but I like to think that I understand metaphors. This virus requires endurance, has no real markers on how far along we are, and nobody is handing out water and Gatorade on the side of the road. The only fans cheering us on are our family and friends, who are running the same race. As the weeks click by, this long, hard, slog of a race feels like it will never end. We may have even hit a wall already and felt like giving up.
None of us have trained for this situation, but with a little luck and wisdom, we will get stronger as we go along. We have already adapted to things we never knew we were capable of—physical distance from people we love and our community; staying at home to keep ourselves and others safe; wearing masks or being extra cautious in the grocery store. Not to mention total disruption of our normal routines.
If Wikipedia is to be trusted, “marathon” is the Greek word for fennel. Fennel is a hardy perennial, tangy and strong, spicy and healing. Now that’s a metaphor I can live with.
As we take turns cheering each other on, may we all be hardy, tangy, strong, spicy, and a healing source for others. It’s a hard time, but we can do this. We’re not alone. A new day is coming, but first we need to finish this race. We’ve got this. YOU’VE GOT THIS.
Are there ways that you feel like you are running a marathon? How do you keep going?
Love,
Susan
Read the previous dispatch here.
Susan, Thank you for posting this message! As hard as it is to contemplate, we must not let our caution and our keep-safe practices slip away. Until we have quick, universal testing and eventually a safe, effective vaccine, we have no protection against this virus. We must be patient and conscientious. Long ago I ran across a quote (sorry, I don’t know the author), “Real growth is possible in ordinary situations.” That’s the task at hand for all of us now, and for the foreseeable future. We need to hang in there, and be kind and generous to all those who are of necessity in harm’s way, and those who need any help that we can provide.
Well said, Helen. Thanks for your thoughtful comment. The New York Times had an article recently about “quarantine fatigue,” another new phrase born out of this pandemic. We are all feeling it to one degree or another. I imagine we all want life to go back to the time when we could come and go freely, eat out at restaurants, go to a movie, go to the grocery store without wearing survival gear, etc. But we haven’t reached that finish line yet. Testing would go a long way in determining that end line.
Take good care!