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In a crisis, our natural reaction is to do something, anything. What makes the COVID-19 crisis so difficult, and so unsettling, is that we’re being asked to do nothing.
The solution, scientists tell us, is not action but inaction: Stay home. Don’t visit with your neighbors, or embrace your friends if you pass them on the sidewalk, or even shake hands. Interact with your co-workers via Slack or Skype or some other software that can only simulate something we seem to yearn to be part of at the most fundamental level: a community engaged in a common purpose.
Yet this artificial and unnatural isolation only works to defeat the enemy if we all do it in concert, and if we can maintain these conditions over an extended period of time. To do that, we must somehow create togetherness without actually being together.
The first step is to realize that we are, even in our separate bunkers, indeed doing our part in a war against a common enemy. None of the wars that the United States has fought in my lifetime has required such universal participation and sacrifice — not Vietnam, not Afghanistan, not Iraq. But I think of the stories my parents, grandparents and in-laws told me about living through World War II, and I believe that’s the best historical reference point.
They talked about rationing, blackouts, mobilizations — disruptions that affected every community and every household, and that gave every individual a role to play. We have done this before, and now we must do it again, even if the heroism and sacrifice we need in this war look very different from the requirements of past conflicts.
“Social distancing” is hard because we are, by nature, social creatures. We are fortunate, though, that now we have technology that can help us stay connected to one another. Speaking for myself, I used to be disdainful of — and, to be honest, maybe a little intimidated by — video chat applications such as FaceTime and Skype. I found them a poor substitute for faceto-face interaction and no better than a simple phone call.
Now I’m developing an appreciation of how much the visual component can add to a remote encounter. You can see the joy in a smile, the concern in a frown, the twinkle in a pair of familiar eyes. Yes, it’s a bit more of a hassle, but it can be worth it.
It’s also important to get some fresh air — safely — whenever you can. Please do not emulate the idiots who congregated in big drunken groups on Florida beaches earlier this week, determined to celebrate spring break no matter the cost to themselves and our public health system. But do get out of the house.
Spring sprang in the Washington area last week, with temperatures in the 70s and the cherry blossoms and dogwoods nearing full bloom, and I’m going to take a long walk. When I run into neighbors, I’ll keep the required six-foot distance — and I’ll feel much better when I get home.
I think it’s a good idea to give the work day some structure. I’m going to try to separate work time from family time from metime, as if I were still going to the office. I realize this is difficult for families with small children who would ordinarily be in school — and who can’t safely be occupied with play dates.
They need structure, too, and I’m guessing that in most twocareer families, parents will take a tag-team approach.
Many of us will still have much more time than usual on our hands, and there are only so many binge-worthy shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime. This is a good opportunity to tackle some of the reading you’ve been promising yourself you’d do someday. I’m not ambitious enough to take on, say, all of Proust. But the last of Hilary Mantel’s acclaimed Thomas Cromwell novels just came out, and I’ve never read any of them, so I downloaded the whole trilogy last night and am about to get started with “Wolf Hall.”
The occupational hazard I face as a journalist is that I have to keep up with the news hour by hour. You probably don’t need to, and really shouldn’t. It’s important to stay informed, because the situation is changing constantly. But being glued to the television or social media 24-7 is a recipe for needless anxiety. Check in periodically, then check out.
What none of us can know, at this point, is how long all of this will last. We can’t look forward to a date certain when our selfimposed isolation will be over. Like any war, we have to take this one day by day.
So for the next 20 seconds, wash your hands.