Note: I originally wrote this post on November 15, 2021.

Recently, we observed the second anniversary of the first COVID-19 case reported in the United States. Who thought then that nearly everything we do would still be affected by it?

A wise person once said, “I am powerless over people, places and things.” This has never been truer than with the COVID crises. The only other period in my life that came close was my experience in Vietnam. But even there, I was able to evaluate the situation, consider any options and “cut a better deal.”

How fast things changed.  In a few days my life went from daily in-person Weber Nooners meetings to none.  I had never heard of “Zoom.”  Now I administer a site that hosts online meetings for both Weber Nooners & my Centering Prayer groups.   I went from married to single with passing of Mary Ann

I compare this to my experience during the Vietnam War in 1970-71 to COVID 2020-2021.  Events fifty years apart.  Political leaders making bad decisions about situations they did not understand. Innocent people suffering the most. Trust in government badly shaken or lost. Highly polarized population. The saying, “I am powerless over people, places and things” was never truer. Just like life in Vietnam, it can be dangerous to leave the safety of my resident compound.

COVID is another lesson in relationships proving again everything is related. Things that happen around the world can have a direct impact on me. History repeated itself. In the Middle Ages, commerce using the latest technology – the sailing ship, made contact between feudal Europe and the “East”. Along with that exchange of goods and services came the Black Plague which wiped out much of the population of Europe and stifled growth for years.

Fast forward to today.  The airplane has made travel around the world easy. I can wake up in Corpus Christi and be in China in time for bed. Likewise for disease. A virus in China can be affecting Texans in a matter of days or weeks. The subject of science fiction became reality.  Science and the medical community were quickly overwhelmed by a “new plague” we were not prepared for.  But unlike the Middle Ages, science came to the rescue and new vaccines and preventive measures were developed.  Unfortunately, like the Middle Ages, superstition and false information still exists.  Many people suffered needlessly the effects of COVID because they would not follow the guidance of medical experts.

Now that COVID case numbers and severity rates are declining, there is pressure to return to normal. I am finding that to be a scary place.

Strangely, COVID safety measures brought a since of security. The retirement home where I live became a safe island in a sea of risk. The facility locked down-admitting only people who followed strict rules. Contact with people and places outside our compound was discouraged.  Like the base camp I lived in Vietnam, I felt relatively safe as long as I stayed within fence.

Now that the rules are being lifted, I have decisions to make. Mask requirements are being lifted. Do I continue wearing one?  Do I start attending face-to-face Weber Nooners meetings and rely less on Zoom? When do I resume normal activities such as attending church, shopping, visiting friends and relatives?