The Corona Virus COVID-19
has changed our lives, our culture, our habits, our relationships and our
economy more than any other event in my memory, and it’s not over yet.
The threat is real, despite
what some non-scientists might say. The Trump administration estimated this
week that COVID-19 could take 100,000 to 250,000 American lives.
But one day the spread of
the contagion will succumb to medical and scientific efforts to quell the
spread of the disease. People will go back to work. Students will go back to
school. Members will attend church services within the holy places built for
those services. “Social Distancing” will be largely forgotten. Our hands will
not be washed quite so frequently.
But things will have
changed, and we will not revert to life as it was, ante-pandemic. After months
of avoiding direct contact with another human being, of staying away from
social events, of diverting to “virtual” experiences and events, how soon will
we be able to be our old selves again? After seeing empty shelves in our
favorite stores, will our minds be persuaded to hoard bottled water, toilet
paper and candy?
Will restaurants, forbidden
to serve customers at tables, survive on less profitable carryout meals in foam
trays and plastic bags? Will patrons forget the pleasures of being served by a
thoughtful staff in a pleasant dining room, or will they conclude that carryout
meals taste just as good at home? Will the wait staff, unable to survive on
unemployment benefits, still be available?
Perhaps the most profound
changes post-pandemic may be felt in churches. With gatherings of more than 10
people forbidden, churches have, in most cases, canceled their Sunday services
and other events; they have redirected members to online church services held
in empty sanctuaries or pastor’s homes. For some people, the virtual service
will be sufficient, and it’s so much more efficient. For members of liturgical
churches, accustomed to observing the Eucharist, the central sacrament of the
church, each week or more often, will welcome the return to the bread and wine
with its spiritual presence of Christ.
Once the habit of attending
church and supporting the church with donations in the offering plate, will
people assume their old habits, or will they drift away from churches,
extending a trend among major denominations over the past 75 years?
Likewise, schools that have
been forced to do much more online are likely to continue to shift more and
more courses and instruction to virtual classrooms. This will affect teachers and
other school employees and will have a large effect on local and state budgets.
Done right, this transition could make schooling better and less expensive.
But if elected officials see
only an opportunity to cut costs, education will suffer. More spending will be
needed in internet access and bandwidth to ensure that all students can attend
online classes from school or from home. The UNC system boasts 50,000 online
courses, most having started before the pandemic.
Schools may be tempted to replace
curriculum with digitally centered courses, but classic literature should
continue to be taught. Shakespeare’s plays are 500 years old. Homer’s
description of the Trojan War is more than 2,000 years old. Insights into human
nature in both classics are relevant today.
The opportunity to update
education is just one benefit from the pandemic. Another is the public’s
reluctant discovery of walking as exercise. I am seeing many new faces walking
in my neighborhood. You can’t go to the gym, shopping is no longer entertainment,
and you can’t travel much. But you can walk, and walking includes nature,
neighborly conversations and improved weight control and physical fitness.
With luck and vigilance, we
might see preventive measures eased in the fall or early winter, but we will
all have to accept how much has changed and realize the virus could make an
unexpected comeback.
Hal Tarleton is a former editor of The Wilson Daily
Times. Contact him at haltarleton@myglnc.com.
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