We all know the old saying: The only thing constant in life is change.
From the time we are old enough to nurse a coherent thought, we all see the process of change at work. We may not understand what we see, but we unwittingly auto-record clips of life events and situations that may revisit us many years later in the form of snippets of memories, a familiar fragrance, an emotion or a sense of deja vu.
It is amazing, the amount of information that the human brain can store. And it recalls more change than we know.
Along the way, we face highs and lows, peaks and valleys, obstacles and challenges that have to be overcome. However, these are usually on an individual basis.
How strange it is now to find ourselves caught up in the same life-altering circumstance together, facing the same threat, the same danger, with many of the same fears and anxieties.
The unknown presents opportunity for fear. COVID-19 was relatively unknown.
Although international news was brimming with headlines about it for more than two months, not until a few weeks ago did most of us pay much attention to it. That changed when this coronavirus came to our shores and started to hit close to home.
As cases in the United States grew and the incidence spread, finally the virus came to the area where we live, work and worship.
Just Monday, we learned of Tallahatchie County’s first confirmed case of COVID-19. On Tuesday, the Mississippi State Department of Health reported a second positive case in our midst. Sad to say, but it probably will not be the last local infection.
Other results valid through 6 p.m. Monday were that the total number of cases statewide stood at 320, with one death of a south Mississippi resident who had underlying health issues.
The growing numbers, and the threat of this new, easily-transmitted coronavirus spreading among us, has brought about many changes unprecedented in our lifetime.
We have learned the concept of social distancing, and we now know that hands and fingernails should be washed thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or about as long as it takes to sing or hum the “Happy Birthday” tune twice.
Many of us already used hand sanitizer on a regular basis, but once we learned that the gel-like substance was highly effective against COVID-19, it became a must-have item on everyone’s shopping list. As did Lysol and other such cleaners.
Problem is, the herd mentality set in early on and most of those items were snatched up so hurriedly and in such quantities that a shopper has since been lucky to find any, even from an online source. Some people were buying large quantities of hand sanitizer and then reselling it for as much as $75 per little bottle.
Many people are wearing protective masks and gloves.
Nods, fist bumps and the like have replaced the traditional handshake in many quarters as more hygienic forms of greetings. Are the days of the handshake numbered? It’s a thought.
Some of the local churches that had embraced digital technology were already livestreaming their services on Facebook and/or YouTube before the virus struck, but with warnings against assembling in groups larger than 10 persons, electronic church has become the new norm for many more congregations.
Some government offices and businesses have locked their doors, remaining open to handle only mailed, telephoned or emailed business. Many people, including some in government, are working exclusively from home when their job permits.
No inside dining is allowed at restaurants or bars. Drive-thru, takeout or delivery is OK — for now.
Many banks have closed their lobbies, using their drive-thru windows for most transactions and requiring appointments of those who must come inside for others.
Medical facilities have altered their procedures for employees, patients and, in those rare cases where they still are allowed, visitors.
Curfews, shelter-in-place orders and the like are in effect in many areas and are becoming more the norm as the virus spreads.
Some people who have the coronavirus or believe they have been exposed to it are “self-quarantining” themselves for up to 14 days — the incubation period for COVID-19.
The list goes on.
If it sounds like a drag, well, quite frankly it is. But these actions are necessary to help stem the person-to-person transmission of this virus.
We are in this together, and to help each other and those we love — especially our elders and others who due to preexisting medical conditions are more likely to have serious complications with COVID-19 — we should take heed to the latest warnings and recommendations from government and the health care community. No one is immune to this illness, so to ignore the seriousness of the situation is foolhardy.
That said, there is most assuredly light at the end of this long, dark tunnel.
When the virus eventually runs its course, or a treatment or cure is found to snuff it out, life will get back to whatever constitutes normal.
As a nation, state, county, community, we have met and overcome many challenges to our freedoms, livelihoods and, yes, even our very lives. Each time, that meant change, whether temporary or permanent. Remember 9/11?
Prayer, resolve, preparation and common sense will win out so that we may rise above this latest threat.
At that point, we will change again — perhaps back to the way everything was, or maybe not. In either case, we will certainly adapt.
We always have, and we always will.
