A Different Kind of Independence Day

I still believe good things are coming, but it seems too many “good times” have set back our progress in containing the coronavirus. I have no doubt that we will defeat this plague, but in the meantime it would not be wise to “let the good times roll,” like we did in 2019. 

Doesn’t the phrase “in the meantime” just set your teeth on edge? What it means is you are stuck in a waiting period. Because we gathered too fast and too loose, we are taking two steps back and external controls are in place. We cannot go to the beach with friends for a picnic lunch; having the traditional July 4^th swim party with the usual crowd is out; and dining in at your favorite restaurant is not happening. Why do I feel like I just got caught with my hand in the cookie jar and Governor Newsome is slamming down the lid?

You knew I would work the puppies into this blog, so here it is. The final bit of information that informed our decision to get two puppies was from Lisa, our breeder from Desert Heir Dachshunds. “Dachshunds are pack animals. It will be easier with two puppies.” Since we had no other creatures at our house, this made the decision to get two puppies easy … although at times it seems like double trouble.

I believe humans are pack animals, too, and we long to rub elbows with our pack. During our original shelter-in-place order, we discovered that texting is not the same, Zoom meetings are not the same, and talking on the phone is not the same as being face-to-face with all of our people—not just family, neighbors, and friends, but the folks you see frequently when you go to church or to the market or to the gym. That is where you experience the back and forth of community, of connection, of a sense of belonging.

So because of that longing for our pack, we are now back in the waiting room, waiting for infection and hospitalization rates to decline. I’m inclined to think maybe the word “meantime” is not such an itchy word, because it implies there is something to be done in the interim. We all know what we need to do to scratch that itch: social distance. Don’t gather in groups, and wear a mask, not only as a way to stop the spread of infection but also as a sign of solidarity—a sign that I really do love my neighbor as myself.

Together, we can restore our pack. 

Happy Independence Day, everyone!