A Quiet Place

No. Not the movie. The Lehigh Valley, and I suppose the whole country. I ventured out for breakfast this morning. Almost no traffic and the diner was only about half full, on a Sunday morning.  Driving past churches with no cars in the parking lots, on a Sunday morning. Seeing Burger King closed, on a Sunday morning.

It’s a little eerie, in a science fiction sort of way. Think of “The Day the Earth Stood Still”.  Maybe I should be a little more worried about Covid-19 than I am. After all, I am in the over 60 age group that is supposed to be scared. But I have declared myself invincible! The only change I have made is washing my hands more often.  I don’t go out a lot anyway except to hike the hills and forests of eastern Pennsylvania. I get that this is not just about me. It’s about all of us. You know what does have me scared though? The financial piece.

Again, just focusing on myself (I hope I am not becoming narcissistic) it should be noted that in the psychological practice I work in, I am an independent contractor. That means that if all my clients cancel, out of fear of Covid-19, I will make no money. Luckily, I have Social Security and Medicare. Yes, the social safety net still exists. I know a lot of people have it worse, financially.  Lets be kind to them.

As you know, I tend to be an optimist and generally a positive person. I am making a concerted effort to stay that way through this public health crisis. This crisis is made for introverts! Stay home and read….yes, please!  Avoid being in large groups of people…sure, absolutely!   The Buddhist in me reminds me that all I have for certain is this moment. And in this moment, I am healthy and peaceful.  I am invincible…in this moment.

Good luck to all of you! We will all make it through this and maybe learn some valuable lessons from it. Like George Harrison wrote, “All Things Must Pass”.

One last thing. Wash your hands and stop hoarding the toilet paper!