Today is a troubled time for every person on this planet. Government leaders everywhere issue health mandates, and they should—it is their duty. Our leaders keep saying that the American people are the ones who keep our nation from death by living carefully. Yes – within the scope of influence we have, our choices are essential to saving us. However, it is not external mandates, shrinking down, avoidance, or fear of dying that has ever really made us prosper.We cannot run away the rest of our lives, or hide from unseen threats. Perhaps we can go one step further, as we seen many do every day. Perhaps the key to driving death away is to increase our capacity to give away life to each other. Even in a time of loss, perhaps this season is a good time to increase our capacity to love each other. Today, we can choose to kindly treat those older and weaker with special care. We can, for others’ sake, be cleaner. We can show joy to others feeling trodden down. Submit to the governmental mandates patiently, for the sake of each others’ health. Discover a unique way to produce something from yourself that benefits others – a new “critical infrastructure” industry. The sky is the limit. How we live today is how we will be living after this all passes through and life in Haines has a new definition of normal.
Scott Hansen