Paddling A Sinking Canoe

Working his oars in a frenzy, the frightened man sat waist-high in water, half-submerged in his own boat. While spectators watched from a safe distance, he did his best to navigate the damaged canoe to the other side of the lake, succeeding only in holding his ground, making no progress. It was an exercise in futility if ever I saw one, a word picture for panic.

We are paddling a sinking canoe.

Social Distancing, the catchphrase of this new decade, has taken over the reason and faith of even churchgoers who used to gather and give hugs and shake hands. No more holy kisses. No more pats on the back. Now we’re supposed to wave from the safety of our cars and try not to make eye contact if we find ourselves inside a grocery store.

Did you know your head can literally fall off your shoulders if you shake it too much in disbelief? True story—I read about it on the internet.

Far, far away in another galaxy known as China, source of all cheap manufacturing, subpar outsourced chicken parts, and icon of socialism, this communist country succumbed to a coronavirus strain that turned an everyday virus into a supervillain. Fashionable face masks appeared in social media, frightening numbers were released across the airwaves faster than a sneeze, and suddenly the entire planet put itself in a voluntary lockdown. Toilet paper disappeared off store shelves as the rumor escaped that either a) all of it was manufactured in China so there would soon be a shortage due to the shutdown of toilet paper factories, or b) hoarding toilet paper was the way to protect ourselves from a respiratory virus.

The obvious problem with the first theory is that if the toilet paper we buy here in America is manufactured in China, the source of COVID-19, then using Chinese toilet paper infected by the virus would be a really bad idea. Congratulations to all the hoarders who successfully filled their garages with contaminated wood pulp. Once again, the silent scream of truth goes ignored—most toilet paper sold in these United States is also manufactured here. Or in Canada. Google, people, Google.

The problem with the second theory is that it only works if you use it to blow your nose. In that case, we should be hoarding Kleenex.

This is flu season. Spring. Every year. Without fail. While the groundhog stays, well, underground, cloistering himself away until the predicted arrival of warmer weather, the virus flourishes. But once the warm—and in our case, hot—temperatures show up, Punxatawney’s icon emerges and flus bug out.

This is a new virus strain. It's not the Bubonic Plague. No, there is no vaccine for it. There are dozens of influenza strains that show up every year and we don’t have vaccines for the vast majority of them either. Worldwide, there are approximately 290,000 - 650,000 deaths related to seasonal flu each year. Annually, in the United States alone, between 12,000 and 61,000 people die from complications of the flu, and the most people can say is, that's too bad. Or maybe, I had no idea. You're not the only one. Even the CDC doesn't have an accurate count of flu deaths every season because, according to their website as well as many others, they, and we, expect that many people to die of flu-related causes each year and they either aren't fully reported or they simply are not counted.

That may be the difference right there. For the first time in history, we are being pummeled in the face with continuous updates about coronavirus cases and deaths. I'd be scared under normal circumstances if we simply knew on a daily basis how many people are injured in their own homes each year while taking a bath or shower. 235,000 -- in case you were wondering.

But does that perspective help when it comes to the coronavirus? Nope. The President, pressured by public opinion, advisors, and this current election year, has declared a state of emergency for all these here colonies. I’d have to agree. Fear is a terrible emergency. Churches and schools are closing, March has been canceled, fire departments are limiting access to the public, and common sense is on a ventilator, not expected to make a recovery any time soon. Sadly, while the virus has taken the lives of cherished loved ones, another 330 million healthy citizens have succumbed to rumors and panic and socially contagious fear.

Not since 9/11 have I witnessed so much panic and fear mongering and suspicion in America, let alone the rest of the world. Two NBA players tested positive for COVID-19 and within days the entire sports season was canceled. The theory is that people who are not sick may be carrying the virus around unknowingly, Typhoid Mary-style. Every person you see could be a carrier. Suddenly, I’m getting emails from every business in possession of my email address—I’m going to take care of that as soon as I finish writing this little tome—reminding me to wash my hands.

My mortgage company wants me to sing my ABC’s and wash my hands. Really? I’m 62 years old and you think I don’t know how to wash my hands after I go to the bathroom or pick my nose or pet my dog or clean up a baby’s butt or handle raw chicken? This is what I pay my mortgage company to do, send me emails about washing my hands, covering my sneezes with my elbow, or throwing tissues in the garbage when I’m finished with them?

I’m not worried about catching a virus. I’m worried about my contact with social media.

Is there any good news anywhere that we can hold on to while we’re told to keep everyone else at a distance? There is. For me, numbers are a good place to start. I've been keeping tabs myself on a website called Worldometers.info. Seeing the way numbers are reported, doing the math, figuring percentages--all of that is factual. None of it is spun into a terror cyclone by a greedy media. Thinking for myself has become an exercise in perspective that pays off in better mental health than if I depended on any form of media, social or otherwise, for the truth.

Here’s the best news. Our bodies are made up of trillions of good bacteria—one hundred trillion of them. We are more bacteria than we are cells—there are 38 trillion of those. We’re designed by God to have strong immune systems that fight off viruses, and He’s given us good foods that will strengthen the microbiome in our gut which, in turn, protects us. He’s also given us strong minds and reminded us not to make ourselves vulnerable to fear. What He hasn’t done is force us to believe the truth.

Vaccines are not our best defense. There is no vaccine for the common cold, which is another coronavirus. The best defense is a good offense. Eat and drink probiotic foods regularly which feed and build your biome which strengthens and protects you. 

And here’s another amazing thing. Every time you give a hug to someone, not only does it reduce stress and lower blood pressure for both of you, it passes on your good bacteria to strengthen them. Eighty million of them with every handshake. Social distancing does exactly the opposite. The only thing it passes on is fear and suspicion. Good is always stronger than evil, I was just reminded—and that goes for bacteria, too.

Surrounded by an ocean of fear in the face of a respiratory virus, news like that is a breath of fresh air to me. I’d rather take my chances with healing hugs any day.




With thanks to New Media Consortium for the use of the above photograph. The original can be viewed at :
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nmc-campus/2073233284/in/photolist-26mUZJ1-7Qxr2B-8t7psY-9TBDxz-JM3ndx-m7mnQa-bcxibg-KyrCGf-bcxi8i-7Ry1v1-aqBDBX-Zhg3Y-cRPNW3-7FVYb-ocyFgH-23E8Vx-4acS2s-4acSsh-4acTgf-4acSSq