Observations From Just Outside of the Pandemic

Waiting for the pandemic to come to my town sort of feels as if I am standing on the train tracks - knowing that a train is coming and that if I do not stay out of the way - it might hit me. If the pandemic is like a VIA train - I do not have the foggiest notion when it will arrive. But we all know that more people will get sick before the CONVID-19 virus has run its course. In the meantime, I will do what I can to limit my exposure while still maintaining some sort of life. It is interesting to observe other people make adjustments to their routines.

I had to get a blood test done earlier this week. The receptionist was wearing a full, clear plastic mask - acting as if nothing was unusual about her appearance. The mask was rather hard to ignore. She asked me if I had visited any countries where people were sick and when I said no - she asked me if I had been around anyone who had visited any countries where people were sick. Again I said no. I was struck by the fact that despite the seriousness of the pandemic - that at this point people were prepared to trust each other and assume that we were all being honest. I am not sure if that is true in all countries, or how long it will remain true in Canada if more and more people get sick.

It is sometimes hard to trust people when one reads about the couple who cleaned out the shelves at their local Costco store of disinfectant wipes - they bought two pallet loads so they could sell them on eBay for a huge profit. They, according to the news item, were proud of themselves for seizing the opportunity to take advantage of people's fears.  One would have hoped that the Costco staff would have said something. But then apparently, people are allowed to walk out of various stores with more hand soap or toilet paper than a family could use in a year with no one saying anything.

A day or so after my blood work, I had a doctor's appointment. The reception staff are always behind glass so they did not feel the need to wear a mask. No one asked me anything. On Wednesday I had an appointment at the neurologist - no masks and no glass barriers between the reception on the public - but I did notice that in both the waiting rooms, all of the magazines had been removed. The neurologist was a good doctor and I appreciated the information he gave and the way he answered my questions. I think in other times we would have shaken hands as I left- we didn't do it this time.

I have noticed that the US media uses " coronavirus" to discuss issues and concerns whereas the Canadian press seems to prefer COVID-19. I wonder why?

I am amazed at how fast various events have been cancelled. On Vancouver Island where there is (I

 It is difficult to know how people are adapting. There certainly were fewer people at Habitat's ReStore on Friday and the Saturday Duncan Farmer's Market looked rather empty (it was also bloody cold) but the Supercenter was so crowded that I decided not to bother shopping. I suspect that people will be cautious and practice some form of social distancing. Many will do so because some if not most of their activities have been cancelled. think) only one reported case, all events have been cancelled. Which would suggest that either people are over-reacting or that people are determined to mitigate the spread of the virus? Schools are on a scheduled two-week spring break so there is another week or so before a decision needs to be made.

I have a bit of a runny nose and my throat might be a bit scratchy. Is that train getting closer or do I just have a bit of a cold?

Reconciliation - Using our Words Correctly - Part Two

If there was ever going to be a Canadian word of the decade - reconciliation would be most likely be it.    Unfortunately, despite it being an important word, by the time we reach 2030 - many of us will be so very tired of hearing the word. We will be tired of it because it is being so badly misused.

Reconciliation is a process. Reconciliation does not mean that we have to change the name of every public building from the name of a historical figure who was racist ( so many if not all were racists and sexist) to a name in an Indigenous language. Taking down the statues of every politician of the last 140 years will not do what is needed to achieve reconciliation. Chanting the word reconciliation a thousand times will not cause change. Repeating it like some sort of mantra - applying it to every situation will not do a single thing to address the issues that so desperately need to be addressed. Using the word like a hammer on such topics as boil water advisories, inadequate housing and the lack of accessible education or medical care will not produce any resolution. Discovering that some civil servant or bank manager had made a decision that may have been based on race - is not proof that reconciliation is dead. Furthermore, passing laws based on what the United Nations says about Indigenous rights will not mean that all of the issues are resolved.

I suspect that saying to Indigenous people in Canada that any sort of true reconciliation is going to take time will cause many to say that they have been waiting for centuries - why should they have to wait any longer? And that is a fair point. Canada as a nation and individual Canadians have for far too long, made decisions based on race. The question is how do we stop doing that?

It would seem to me that people need to change how they think about people who are different than them. We need to eradicate the bias that has existed since the arrival of the Europeans, those Eurocentric assumptions that have allowed us to mistreat, abuse or ignore Indigenous people. Those biases are deeply ingrained into some peoples' thinking. That thinking is not going to change just because someone says it should.

I believe that people change their attitudes or beliefs when they are convinced it is the best thing to do. For example, I, along with all other drivers in North America, drive on the right side of the road. Yes, it is the law and I do not want to get a ticket, but many of us break laws every day. We all drive on the right side of the road because we have been convinced that doing so is better for us. After all, it is safer. Those of us who have supported LGBTQ, rights, feminism or the acceptance of individuals with disabilities have done so because we knew others who were engaged in those struggles and what they said made sense to us. It made sense for the world we wanted to live in.

If reconciliation is to ever actually happen, we as individuals need to make individual changes. Little things such as being careful of how we use words, how we include everyone into the conversation or reading, no matter how difficult it is, about the issues from a different perspective. Reconciliation will not happen because someone says we have to accept it. Reconciliation is about changing the hearts and minds of a nation. And that will take time.