Will we be back to normal by May 1?
This was certainly an Easter to remember. If you followed the recommendations there were no large family gatherings, no visits to the nursing homes or assisted living facilities to enjoy an Easter meal with a loved one – and the list goes on and on.
Perhaps, though, you were still able to enjoy a slice of ham or your favorite Easter dish, some beet eggs (to me those are the purple ones) maybe some scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole and of course, my personal favorite, a piece of lemon meringue pie. (Yes, I did – multiples)
But tossing the plastic eggs, dinner menu and jellybeans aside, perhaps this Easter allowed all of us to reflect on our family and loved ones a bit more than usual with the somber tone of a worldwide pandemic bearing down on us. And although our own community has managed – so far – to avoid the large increase in cases of COVID-19, it is likely that we will see the numbers climb in Ohio and Coshocton County over the next week or so. Hopefully by the end of April or earlier, we can begin to see a decline around the world.
It seems that people, and organizations, are gearing up for a “back to normal” by May 1 – and this was brought to bear today (Thursday, April 9) as I saw the announcement from the OHSAA that if – and that is if – school can return to normal on May 1, spring sports will resume within a week or so and tournaments will take place at the end of June for most of the spring sports. That would be nice – to give spring athletes – especially the seniors – an opportunity to finish their high school career.
The cancellation of all sports has curtailed my typical updates on the Indians of course and while I don’t really miss the NBA or hockey or anything like that – I do like to watch the Masters Tournament – as much for the beauty of the golf course and landscaping as for the golf competition. The Masters has been rescheduled for Nov. 9 to 15, 2020 as of this writing. Will Americans flock back to the ballparks and all the sponsored arenas for professional sports when they return or . . . is there a new normal to be attained?
As Americans we all know that our memories are short with regard to tragedies but somehow, this feels different. Much different in fact. And it feels different because it is different. This is not an attack on a specific target in a specific location but rather an attack on everyone. In reality, anyone and everyone can be – and is – a target of the COVID-19 virus. Pretty scary stuff really. I think that most of us are taking it seriously – and it seems wise to do that.
I hope that this week brings a further decline in the number of cases and the number of deaths from this terrible thing. I also hope that you and your loved ones had an enjoyable and peaceful Easter regardless of whether you were together or were separated across the miles.
Category: Mark's Musings, Opinion
