What a difference a week makes. My usual 500 words are filled with things to see and do, but I won’t be posting any events this week. This time last week there was toilet paper on every shelf and you could sell hand sanitizer on eBay without being the bad guy. The amount of information out there, good and bad, is incredible. The ability of the Internet to give everyone a voice is a blessing and a curse, so don’t believe everything you read/hear/see.
We are all in this together. I recommend getting a bottle of cough and flu over-the-counter meds as the chances of a mild sickness is fairly high. One of the bits of information I want to stress is the need to “Flatten the Curve,” to stretch out the timeline on this illness so our health system can handle not only COVID-19, but all the other day-to-day issues that they deal with. We can make a difference by staying healthy.
The panic, I hope by the time this hits the box at the end of your street, has passed and we are settling into our new normal, which is different every day, let alone every week. Make sure your neighbours and friends are well and see if there is anything you might provide. Support local business owners by getting gift certificates to use when this has passed; I know they can use the support. More and more shops are offering deliveries and online ordering as well as special times for seniors and the immunocompromised to shop (for those 65+ there is 7 to 8 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays at the Independent and both lower Coast IGA stores). Online doctor visits are a thing now, including Babylon from Telus, and the nurse hotline at 8-1-1 has certainly helped me in the past, but don’t overwhelm these services unnecessarily.
Going to the store will still happen, just wash your hands and don’t touch your face – and buy what you need without depriving the next person of their needs please. There are a number of activities that your can do to help ease the stress in these stressful times: For the cultural connoisseur there are many virtual museum tours and more and more art treasures are being shared online for free. Try the Smithsonian or visit dozens of heritage sites worldwide. There are also hundreds of galleries available online.
For the nature buff: Surprise! Social distancing doesn’t require you to become a shut-in. Do some yard work or take a walk – our parks and beaches are second to none, so get out there! It is recommended, however, that we stay two metres away from each other. That’s a tough one, I know, but personally it’s more for those I might bring the virus to than for myself. Online education sites are springing up every day with many established institutions offering courses for free. I will sharpen my Google skills and some self-improvement is always a welcome thing!
Till next week.
