By Joanne Byrne
Retired and Rejuvenated
Joanne Byrne.
Charles Dickens’s opening words from A Tale of Two Cities could not be more suitable right now given what we all are going through with the coronavirus pandemic: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredibility….”
As the world comes to grips with a pandemic unlike anything seen in the past 100 years, there is reason for concern that can easily turn into panic. It is a sickening feeling of dread, fear of getting the disease even though we’ve been told most who do will experience relatively mild symptoms. But for people in our age group, the consequences can be far more severe.
As the days drag on and the rhythms of life change in increasingly dramatic ways, we are called to stay strong for those who depend on us, to find ways to connect even as we keep our physical distance from each other, to be our best selves. This global, novel virus that is keeping us contained in our homes is already reorienting our relationship to government, to the outside world and to each other.
Some changes that many experts see in the coming months and years might seem unfamiliar and unsettling to us. Will nations stay closed? Will touch become taboo? What will become of restaurants?
Crisis moments also present opportunity. Perhaps there will be more sophisticated and flexible use of technology, less polarization and a revived appreciation for the great outdoors and life’s other simple pleasures. No one knows exactly what will come.
We have equated patriotism with the armed forces for a long time. Those on the front lines against the coronavirus aren’t conscripted, mercenaries or enlisted men. They are our doctors, nurses, pharmacists, teachers, caregivers, store clerks, utility workers and small business owners and employees. Many are suddenly saddled with unfathomable tasks, compounded by an increased risk of contamination and death for which they never signed up. Hopefully we will all recognize their sacrifice as true patriotism, and build statues, and have holidays for this new class of people in gratitude for what they are giving to protect our health and lives while endangering their own. Perhaps we will all come to understand patriotism as cultivating the health and life of our community rather than blowing up someone else’s community.
COVID-19 has forced people back to accepting that expertise matters. Dr. Anthony Fauci has become my new hero. One might hope that this crisis will return Americans to a new seriousness, or at least move them back toward the idea that government is a matter for serious people. When this all ends, I hope we will make substantial new investments in health and public services. I hope we will see how our fates are linked. The cheap burger I eat from a restaurant that denies paid sick leave to its cashiers and kitchen staff makes me more vulnerable to illness.
We are a people who believe in the triumph of hope and life over fear. It will not be possible this year to rejoice communally on Easter morning. Jews will not be able to celebrate their deliverance from bondage when Passover seders must take place on Zoom with family members wondering if little cousin Joey remembered the Four Questions.
Separated physically we must remain, at least a little (if not much) longer for the greater good. We can do this. My wishes go out to all of you to remain healthy, safe, active as you can be, and able to appreciate all the blessings we do experience in our lives.
Joanne Byrne served as Senior Services Coordinator for the Town of Orange. She is now actively and happily retired. Email her at joannebyrne41@gmail.com to share your thoughts on retirement.