COVID-19: Opt-Ed
In the Rabbit Hole
“I
By Merle F. Wilberding DBA Second Vice President Coolidge Wall Co., LPA
t's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then," said Alice to the Mock Turtle as she tried to understand and adjust to her new world in Wonderland. Alice had just followed the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole and tumbled into a very surreal world. And, weren’t we all different persons than we were just a day or two ago. For me, it seems like just yesterday that I was busy juggling projects, conferences, meeting days and Schuster nights. I am a different person now, for I (like everyone else) have been cascading down my own rabbit hole as the coronavirus has completely disrupted, if not endangered my life. Until this I had always had a cluttered calendar (and a cluttered desk, but that’s another story) that pretty much controlled or at least managed my life. No more. My calendar has been completely wiped clean. All of my luncheon meetings and dinner engagements have been eliminated by Governor DeWine’s edict that all bars, restaurants and events with more than 50 people are closed until further notice. Even the churches have dispensed with mandatory attendance in favor of online prayers or even satellite radio. Now, I do understand the seriousness of the COVOID-19 pandemic and fully understand the need to implement these very drastic measures in order to slow down the spread and the speed of the transmission of this virus. I support these decisions and I want us all to be safe and secure as we try to live through this crisis, however long it may last. Everybody will struggle to get through this in their own way. For me, I have already learned to forgo the handshakes and replace them with nods, waves, elbow bumps, and perhaps even a risky fist bump or two. But, more often I find myself trying to keep my social distance from everyone. I try to remember to wash my hands for 20 seconds, if possible. (The Happy Birthday song works, although I would not want anyone to hear me sing it.) Our dining habits have changed, as we now see which restaurants have carryout, and what menus and hours they may permit. (I do feel bad for them because the days they lose are gone forever, much like a hotel can never capture the revenue from an empty room for an evening.) Now I order carryout meals, both to feed myself and to support the restaurants and their employees. Work has completely changed. For many people there is no work and no salary. I feel bad for those people. I am grateful for those of us who are lucky enough to work, whether it is at an office or remotely from our home. In our office, we routinely have teleconferences and virtual meetings, and we will soon add visuals to those conferences, either through Zoom or Skype. Aldous Huxley was right. It is a brave new world. That brings us back to our heroine, Alice in Wonderland. As she pondered her life in the rabbit hole, she lamented: “And what is the use of a book without pictures or conversation?” And that’s where I am, lamenting that our remote workdays are without social engagement or other conversation. Whether this hiatus will be for a short time or a long time, we will work through it, just as Dayton has worked through its many challenges during the past year. I look forward to the day when we all can climb out of the rabbit hole and enjoy the sunshine of our community. www.daybar.org
April 2020 Dayton Bar Briefs
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