Covitigue

I’m so over COVID-19.

I hate it! It has been too long, too depressing. It makes me sad at times. It frustrates me, restricts me, annoys me. At times it drives me nuts!

I want to see people’s smiles again.

What I thought at first might be a few weeks lockdown has extended itself well beyond anyone’s expectations. And now a massive surge of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths is enough to make anyone want to give up. I think most of us are suffering from some form of COVID fatigue - or COVITIGUE - but now is NOT the time to quit or let down our guard.

“It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required.”

— Winston Churchill

In fact, now is the time to be even MORE vigilant and disciplined about doing our small but important part in slowing the spread and keeping our fellow humans — and ourselves — safe. Why? Because we — the lucky ones who did not get sick or die — have the CERTAINTY that the path to resolution has begun with last week’s announcement of the first effective vaccine. The POST-COVID ERA has officially commenced. Now it is up to us — everyone — to participate in the really ‘dumb, basic’ actions that we know are effective in slowing the spread: masks, hand-washing and distancing. While we may be ‘over it’ or depressed or fatigued, let’s remember those before us who fought wars and at the time when all others may have quit, they did not. They persevered under much, much worse circumstances. They continued fighting. They did their part. Everyone participated for the greater good. This all too shall end. We can now see a finish line on the not-too-distant horizon. But we must exercise patience, prop one another up and encourage one another to persist to that finish line. Six months ago we could not see this finish line, but now we can. Let’s not squander a golden opportunity — and our responsibility — to help minimize the damage from this awful moment in time. Let the incentive be the remarkable coming 2021 economy and life we will probably enjoy and appreciate much more than we could have in 2019. Happy Monday Everyone!

Leonard Steinberg