Bramblings: Pandemic lessons

The nation seems to be opening doors wide to a return to “normal.” Where masks and “social distancing” were the norms a year ago, for those who have vaccinated against COVID in all its permutations the nation is now hug, sing, greet and travel friendly.

We have taken a couple of trips here in New England over the last few weeks, taking advantage of a slow-er spot in our schedule, celebrating a milestone year of our wedding anniversary and enjoying the beauty of our corner of the nation. Restrictions and guidelines have eased even since we went to spots in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, so I can’t even imagine the joy and revelry now that things are even more opened-up. After all, life isn’t life if you cannot live and enjoy.

Despite the new freedoms, I note that Sullivan County has more transmission of the virus than anywhere else in the state. I wonder if that is attributable to more testing than other areas of the state? Or are our vaccination rates lower here than elsewhere in the state? It seems odd to me that a small county with few congested population areas is the new hotspot for the virus.

It just makes me think that some of the protocols that became every day life for us last year may need to stick around for a long time to come. I know that at the farm, we are keeping many of the safety protocols well entrenched in our everyday business. We are planning to leave the protective glass guards up between customers and the clerks at the store. Hand sanitizer is probably going to be a permanent fixture at our check-out spot. We are still cleaning handles and frequently touched spots more frequently than ever before. We may keep many of the protocols for you-pick berries in place with a lot less interaction between customers and staff.

The pandemic taught us to be more cognizant of cleanliness and disease mitigation and protection. It also taught us the essential importance of being human and social. There was nothing “social” about distancing from our fellow humans. We all realized how important those sometimes dreaded family visits to Grandma’s house for Thanksgiving were and just how quiet and empty an apartment or house can be when you are restricted from leaving or keeping appointments and have to rely on a flat screen for your personal interactions. It also taught us just how important it is to see each others’ faces and the ever-important reading of expressions. I missed seeing folks’ smiles.

The restrictions and fears created a bit of PTSD in many folks, and the recovery is going to be as much emotional and mental as physical and economic for our nation. We need to be patient with one another as we relearn how to interact with one another. We need to be patient as we relearn how to keep stress under control and not react violently or inappropriately with one another. We need to relearn how to not judge one another whether we decide to vaccinate or not and we need to relearn to accept and tolerate each others’ personal freedoms. We need to relearn how to be social. We need to relearn how to enjoy each other and our surroundings without our release from restrictions becoming a problem of recklessness or selfishness as we let loose.

One of the most important lessons we need to carry in our minds is just how fragile our lives are. This pandemic may be under control in our region, but it is raging with a brutal fierceness elsewhere in the world as you read this. The folks on the front lines during all the stresses of the last year are exhausted and in many cases still fighting the good fight as hospitalizations are still occurring with this nightmare virus.

We owe more than a thank you to these folks that with amazing speed developed and then distributed vaccinations that work. We owe more than a thank you to the first responders, front line workers, health care workers and folks that struggled to keep us protected and healthy and alive. We owe them our very lives. We owe the families and friends of everyone who lost someone to this disease our hearts and our hope. We need to turn the corner of fear and start looking for the light, even though we may be tucking our masks and protective wear away in case of another health emergency. But please be patient, caring and responsible on your path toward a marvelous summer and just remember that lots of our kids and grandkids and many of our neighbors and friends are not or cannot be vaccinated and try to keep them safe as well.

Becky Nelson is co-owner of Beaver Pond Farm in Newport, New Hampshire. You may reach her at [email protected].