We tend to focus on the negative. Most people can remember some sort of insult or slight from many years ago but if you ask them to come up with a compliment they received around that same time, they often can’t. In the midst of a pretty terrible situation that’s largely out of our control, there’s still an opportunity to look at the glass half full.
Some of the stories in the media this week have looked back at the local effects of the Spanish Flu in 1918 and 1919. Compared to that, our cases remain relatively low, even if you assume the current official numbers are lower than the actual number of cases.
Furthermore, after some panic buying early on, it seems like stock levels at grocery stores have been relatively full. While food banks have had some struggles, at least there’s some positive news with the B.C. government announcing $3 million in funding.
Speaking of government, while there might be few who are unambiguously satisfied with their response across the board, even there there’s plenty to be positive about. For one, our politicians have largely left things up to the experts, something that’s not a given with some of the most notable examples being the U.S. and Brazil. Furthermore, there’s been relative unity among political parties with minimal political posturing given how much politicians have been in the news. It’s hard to overstate the importance of both of these. Dissonance on either of these fronts can amplify the consequences.
Additionally, while it’s not necessarily advisable to compare to other countries, there is something to be said for the fact that the health care system isn’t currently overwhelmed or close to overwhelmed despite Canada having had it’s first official case relatively early compared to other countries outside of Asia.
Furthermore, while being stuck at home can be tough, especially with young children (speaking from personal experience), there are also still lots of positives there. Given that we live in the South Cariboo, it’s relatively easy to go outside and stay socially isolated for most people (even with a few trails closing). Furthermore, all kinds of people have stepped up to help make it a little bit easier from celebrities reading books to people putting up hearts in their windows.
None of this is to dismiss health, financial or other hardships but even in the middle of a pandemic, there are still some things to be positive about.