letter from publisher: Co(vid)exist

A thought came to me suddenly this month and I found it to be very helpful. Simply, it was an acknowledgment that Covid is going to be around for a while, so why not learn to live with it? I thought I had been living with it all this time, but now I realize I’ve had an end date in mind. The reality is, variants are not uncommon. Even with the amazingly quick development of vaccines, deployment has been complicated and uneven around the world. In countries like the United States, where the vaccine is readily available, some people have delayed getting the vaccine until FDA approval and some people will never get it. Variants have developed in the midst of all this. With so many moving parts, it is hard to fathom how it all could have come together in a short time, even under the best of circumstances.

In August I wrote about having an urge to be happy, so to bring the last two months’ themes together, I now have an urge to live happily with Covid. I may actually invest in a mask (up to this point, my few masks have been gifts).

Speaking of masks, a friend mentioned to me a while back that Americans wore masks during the Spanish flu outbreak in 1918. I had never heard this, so I didn’t believe it at first, but google has confirmed it is true. www.Tinyurl.com/SpanishFluandMasks reports there were mask mandates, shaming of those not wearing masks, and controversies over enforcement and punishment, as well as masks made of dubious materials, such as the designer influenza veil of fine mesh with a chiffon border. Some people poked holes in their masks so they could smoke. Others resisted wearing masks altogether. No new thing under the sun, I guess.

There is relief in choosing to live with Covid that I can’t explain. I feel more focused on maintaining strong immune systems within our household. Who knows, maybe I’ll sport an influenza veil (sans the dubious materials) myself.

Wishing you a very happy September,

Shannon

P.S. September’s guest blog by Ryan Brown, Ph.D., “How the ‘Honor Culture’ of the Carolinas Affects Kids as They Return to School,” is a timely and interesting read. You can find it at www.AwakeningCharlotte.com. Just type “Ryan Brown” into the search bar.

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