We Can’t Stay Home Forever

As I am writing this editorial, states are making plans to re-open. I have mixed feelings. I want small businesses to be able to open and have a chance to survive and thrive. I want the oil industry to start climbing back. I want to attend church, take my fiance to dinner, go to a movie, and plan our honeymoon. I want to get a haircut. I want go to a baseball game. I want to attend my sister’s graduation. But I also worry about my grandparents, my great-grandmother, my cousin with asthma, and my friend who was born with a heart birth defect.

We can’t stay home forever, and people need to get back to work. Is there a way to do both? For those who can work from home when possible, they should. Keep washing your hands. Keep a distance in public places. Wear gloves and masks. I don’t have the answers. Ultimately, we have to trust one another to do the right things in order to mitigate the risks.

The other day my aunt, who is a pharmacist at a Walmart, said the employees were trying to clean after people and their children as they ran through Walmart, touching everything. I know another person who says he is taking no precautions because he thinks this is some conspiracy.

Please, respect the people around you. Protecting yourself is also protecting others. Is Covid-19 real? Yes, personally I know people who have been infected. Is Young County a hot spot? Not at the time if this publication. Should all locations be using the same precautions? I don’t think so. Why not encourage people to limit travel and activity in places like Houston, Baton Rouge, New York, or Dallas. Encourage limited travel between the cities and small rural areas so as to not contribute to the spread of this global pandemic--while at the same time allowing places less affected to get back to work if they can’t work from home, live their lives, giving the economy a much needed boost. That would be my choice. No, I am not an expert. I don’t have a background in biomedical science, nor am I a politician. I am a law-abiding citizen who wants the best for my country and our world.

Currently, I am praying for our leaders to make wise choices. I am praying for ordinary people like me to follow the guidelines, modify certain behaviors, and use common sense.