Patience is not simply the ability to wait – it’s how we behave while we’re waiting. Joyce Meyer
About a week ago my friend Terry told me a quote he read: “Hell hath no fury like that of an inconvenienced American!” Ouch.
Living in quarantine is unprecedented in any of our lifetimes. Talk about inconvenience—and a costly one at that, costly in lives, finances and personal freedoms.
At a Glance
Let’s examine the situation in brief: As of this day (May 3, 2020) we are in the 6th week of quarantine in California. During that time we have seen tens of thousands die, a depressed economy that no one knows how long recovery will take, a couple hundred million people “shuttered in,” a dismally divisive government, and a very small number of people on the brink of revolution.
And then there are the rest of us… longing for resolution… but for the most part with patience and understanding. No one likes quarantine; not even those of us with a proclivity for silence and solitude. I don’t like quarantine. But, I have no other viable solution. I haven’t the data or expertise to even have an idea what is good for the country.
All Opinions Matter (well… most anyway)
That is why we have diverse leaders, (and even more diverse followers). Democracy demands diversity. Democracy demands freedom of speech. And we have plenty of both.
What seems to be useful for this moment is intelligent patience. I say “intelligent” because the kind of patience we need now requires thinking and pondering, not un-useful bantering, blaming and name calling.
Obviously, we have seen the signs of an emerging “opening up” from the quarantine, some more open and some more cautious. This is the way democracy in crisis should function: A diverse approach that considers the needs of the economy and the citizens.
Stepping Into the Unknown
So perhaps a bit more patience; a bit more regard for our leaders, all of whom are unsure of the exact road to take. And all of whom are at great risk, attempting to meet the demands of health, security, and freedom. For what if they make a bad decision? Who will have their backs now? Especially at a time when the “best” answer is mostly unknown.
May God help our leaders. May God help our people. May God help us all.
Yes, Patience and Respect
We Are in This Together
Photo courtesy of francescoch at istockphoto
Thank you for this Monday reminder – patience – in the face of so many unknowns and scary news updates on this virus seems like a reasonable but challenging thing to embrace. Even if we open businesses, how many people feel comfortable and trust the environment to pick up where we left off? We may not see cases expand immediately, although the numbers across the country tell a different story – human toll will show up in June – your reminder matters! thank you
Thank you, Sherry. Yes, talk about VUCA. Boy are we in it!