Quarantined 1

Well, I'm not exactly quarantined.   This is voluntary.  There are no armed guards wearing hospital masks standing outside my door.  I am free to come and go as I please, at least I am going to live as though I am.  I just went out today for a walk to Stanley Park, and a little time on the trails, followed by grocery shopping, and a bus ride home. 

This is a very interesting return home.  I have had conversations with various kind and interesting people I have been meeting along the way, and the common theme that I hear is simply, what is all the fuss about?  And quite simply, Gentle Reader, your guess is going to be about as good as mine.   At the hotel where I spent my final night in Costa Rica, in the evening I was chatting with a very pleasant Dutch retired couple, and they seemed more concerned about the fear than the virus itself.  Likewise a fellow from Toronto I was chatting with over breakfast.  On the plane back to Vancouver I had a lengthy conversation with a couple who, like me, were just returning after several weeks away.  Again, why all the fuss.  Yes, It's a highly contagious flu virus, yes it spreads rapidly, but the mortality rate is less than two percent, and most people recover quickly.

on the Skytrain coming home from the airport I had an interesting chat with one older fellow who believes it's a government conspiracy to control people and take away all our freedoms.  Well, I don't see much evidence to the contrary, so I am at least going to give him the benefit of the doubt, even if I don't necessarily agree with him.  One tenant in my building with whom I chatted briefly this morning when I was on my way out seems to think the virus was manufactured to control us and spread fear.  I replied that i really don't know what's going on, that I don't want to  buy into the fear, but also I want to be kind and respectful to others, to what they are going through, because fear really harms and disables people.

I will conclude with part of an email I just sent to a friend this afternoon:

"Well, here I am, starting my lovely little quarantine.  So, I celebrated it by going for a long walk into Stanley Park, then buying some groceries, all necessary for healthy body, soul and mind, and as much as I try to maintain a safe distance, I still end up talking to people, and they also seem to hunger for contact, so one lady and I were both trying to spot a woodpecker we heard tapping on a tree on Barclay Street, and a fellow at the line up in front of the West End No Frills and I had an enjoyable talk about Mexico and Central America, and it seems that people really like it when I say hi to them.  I felt strongly that one of the things God wants me to do back in Vancouver is to try to bridge the gap with people and interact in kind, friendly, and healthy and respectful ways, especially with this climate of fear that we are living in.  It's really impacted one close friend of mine with whom I had a long phone conversation this morning.  Yes, I agree that we have to be vigilant and take precautions, but people are really frightened and need lots of kindness and reassurance right now."