The Pandemic Possibility

This is turning out to be a more than usually stressful week. The collapse of the world economy was enough for me, personally, given all the ongoing debacles and disasters humanity is engaged in around the globe at any given moment. But now we have to be concerned about a possibly viral pandemic. All through the past few days, every time we do something in public, I think this may be the last time for a long time.

We went to a play and I thought, will we be going to any event like this if there is a pandemic? Nope. We'll all be staying home. We went to the gym to take Tre swimming this afternoon, and I thought we won't be doing this kind of thing if there is a pandemic. We'll be staying home. Somebody in the pool sneezed right next to me and I thought, oh hell. We went to the circus, and I thought about it there too. Everywhere we go in public, I think about what will happen if there is a pandemic.

How many lives will be lost? How many lives will I lose? Will people close to me die? Will I myself die? Who will be left to pick up the pieces?

I can't get it out of my mind.

And faced with these recurring thoughts, what comes up for me is how precious my life is. How spectacular it is to go to the gym and go swimming as a family, playing and frolicking in the pool together. And how special it is to go to a good play. And even how precious it is to crowd into a tent with hundreds of other families, so the kids can all go for rides on the elephants and see the clowns and the acrobats. And even the dancing dogs and horses. There really is this element of the carnival in our life. We'd best be enjoying our revelry while it lasts.