I think we’re on the verge of a shift in the way we perceive the virus. Up it has been a mostly abstract experience - an intellectual exercise. The numbers rise, we see the exponential curve. Yes the numbers are concerning but those numbers will quickly be upstaged as individuals start to emerge from the statistics. We already know famous persons, or personal acquaintances that have been diagnosed, but soon we will start to hear about those who have died. One percent seems like a trivial amount, but when you consider our social networks hover around 200 people, we will likely know someone personally who will die from this virus. In Italy today 1 in 10 cases diagnosed have died.
These thoughts weighed on me as I took our dogs on their late night walk - a cold, windy, and unforgiving night. Brooding I was - and then as we cross the street to make our way home, my neighbor steps out of the darkness, and offers me some red wine from a bottle he’d just opened. We chatted about the uncertainty, the bad things coming, but also of the time after, when we all get past this moment. As much as I can get lost in the despair, there’s still hope. There’s a neighbor willing share a nice red, some conversation, and shared community. There is still much to be grateful for, a moment to take pleasure in, and so I end the day in hope - whatever else may come.
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