It’s mid-June and the talk lately has been Black Lives Matter and COVID-19, both very serious issues.
There are still many skeptical on the severity of the coronavirus, especially in Greater Pittston, simply because our case numbers are not that strong amongst the 45,000 residents that make up our area.
Yes, true, we’ve been very lucky, and I can understand why people are fed up with the masks, and upset they can’t go to their favorite watering hole or restaurant, but facts are facts, we still have issues with COVID-19.
I think we all agree shutting down the economy cannot happen again, but we have to be smarter for the “second coming of coronavirus” promised for this fall.
We in Greater Pittston, have been doing a great job being careful, especially for the first eight weeks of the pandemic. I feel we’ve all been a bit more lax in being cautious this past month.
Social distancing is a fairly simple process, and it’s not difficult to accomplish. Wearing masks seems to be a big issue with many for whatever reasons – they are too hot to wear, you can’t really breathe, you look horrible, it doesn’t match the rest of your outfit.
When we initially were asked to wear a mask, I recall talking to my sister-in-law about it over the phone. She and my brother live in Colorado where things have been a bit more lax in the approach to COVID-19.
They live in the mountains (not like our mountains, but mountains, mountains – 8,500-foot elevation mountains) where neighbors are very scattered.
After about 15 minutes of complaining about masks, I realized I was preaching to the choir. My sister-in-law is an OR nurse where wearing a mask is a daily routine.
So the least we can do is endure the mask and keep separated from each other until this mess is over.
Nearly half the states have had a resurgence, and it’s not even the fall where they predict we would get hit hard again by the coronavirus. Pennsylvania is still holding our own and I believe as of this past week, we’re still marching on the downside of the curve.
I get daily notifications sent to my phone daily and it’s still very disturbing to see we are getting between 400 and 500 new cases each day. That’s still a lot of people.
It seems Gov. Tom Wolf had a sort of vote of no confidence this past week when the PA House and Senate voted to end Wolf’s emergency disaster declaration. Wolf shot down the efforts of ending the declaration.
Wolf said if the declaration ended, so would the perks that came with the declaration such as “relaxed eligibility requirements for unemployment compensation, moratoriums on evictions and utility shutoffs, and emergency food distribution networks that serve needy children.”
There’s a lot at risk whether the declaration is over and services are lost or if we reopen the state and risk drastic increases in COVID-19 like that’s happening in the state of Arizona, for example.
Experts are fearing what will happen in a week or two if COVID-19 cases rise with all the Black Lives Matter protests and rioting, two very serious and sad state of affairs in our country.
If we believe all lives matter, no matter what your ethnicity is, we’d all be a nation, we’d all be equal. Perhaps that easier said then done, but with the heighten tragedy of George Floyd, maybe we can all rethink and revisit the true chance for equality for all.
I feel that we, as a nation, as a society, as occupants of the earth, are at a crossroads – a sort of shift to hopefully better times and better days ahead.
I believe through this pandemic business models will change. Maybe the idea of working from home may bring about sweeping changes in the workplace. It just might be possible to work from home permanently. Corporations may not have to occupy gigantic buildings were hundreds, if not thousands, gather for work. The dynamic just might change.
Educators have had to reinvent the way they had to teach and it’s possible that too could change.
I spoke to an administrator at one of the local high schools and they are still in the dark on how the 2020 – 2021 school year will look. When I tell you they are flying by the seat of their pants, it’s true. This is all unchartered territory and there are still so many unanswered questions.
It’s going to be an interesting summer to see how the whole pandemic will unfold. There will be so many unanswered questions whether we will regress and COVID-19 cases increase. What would happen then?
I can tell you this much, I’m glad I don’t have to make decisions that would affect thousands if not millions of people.
Continue to stay safe and above all, respect each other and make all lives matter.
Special notes
Congratulation to VA Hospital Nursing home resident, Bill Hastie, formerly of West Pittston and Chester Montante, of Pittston, who both recently turned 101 years old and going strong.
I’m guessing Chester and his wife Maria Capolarella-Montante celebrated with an ice cold glass of milk.
Happy anniversary wishes goes out to George and Lois Miller, West Pittston, on their 64th wedding anniversary.
Quote of the week
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan Watts
Thought of the week
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw
Bumper sticker
“You must welcome change as the rule, but not as your ruler.” – Denis Waitley
