What’s the Point?

End of Solitary Confinement, day 14.

I woke up grouchy this morning. It might be related to a night of troubled sleep or the weather. We are experiencing a howling north wind with rain, ice and snow this morning and the clouds show no sign of breaking. Not unusual for late March in northern Wisconsin but we all prefer sunshine and pleasant temperatures.

I hate reading and listening to the news because there never seems to be anything good. Most of the drivel on television is so blatantly biased that credibility is suspect. This is present on all ideological fronts. (Walter Cronkite where are you?) I try to keep abreast of local, national and world events but it’s becomes hard to take such information at face value. One side promotes conspiracy theories, another touts political incompetence. The death toll from Covid-19 keeps rising and the rapid transmission of the virus remains a serious threat, not only to lives but also to livelihoods and we are so busy pointing fingers, we miss the big picture.

This morning I looked up some death statistics for comparison. Despite our concerns for the end of the world according to the most recent health crisis, you are still more likely to die from heart disease or cancer. (Oh, Happy Day!)

National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 68, Number 6, June 24, 2019, Deaths: Leading Causes for 2017

• Heart disease: 647,457
• Cancer: 599,108
• Accidents (unintentional injuries): 169,936
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 160,201
• Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 146,383
• Alzheimer’s disease: 121,404
• Diabetes: 83,564
• Influenza and pneumonia: 55,672
• Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 50,633
• Intentional self-harm (suicide): 47,173
• Gun violence, 15,292, (excludes suicide) (Gun violence archives, 2019)
• Covid-19 deaths, (as of 3/29/2020, 2329; 131403 cases, USA)

 

In 2017, 2,813,503 deaths were recorded in the United States. That’s a big number. Nearly three million people died in 2017; 2,835,205 in 2018; 2,813,503 in 2019. Out of all those causes of death, influenza and pneumonia showed little difference between, rich and poor. Infectious disease such as Covid-19 is the great equalizer.

So, what’s the point? We, (me and you), are going to die of something. If by a wave of a magic wand, we could eliminate one or two of the above stated causes of death, it wouldn’t eliminate the death, it would simply shift it from one category to the other. In the USA about 2.8 million people die every year. Not exactly a cheery way to start my Sunday morning. It left me with a fatalistic point of view. Why not open borders and lift travel bans? Why not send people back to work and let people choose between the option of Covid-19 and possible death or bankruptcy? It is impossible to stop the virus, why not spread the virus quickly and get it over? One big pajama party and let the strongest survive. Why flatten the curve when we can have one big curve and get it over with?

Since I am complying with the shelter-in-place directives, I logged onto Youtube.com and listened to a sermon by Jeff Jowers, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Webster, Wisconsin. It made sense. Jeff Jowers, Sermon

He told (retold) the story of Jesus searching for a lost sheep, leaving the 99 behind so he could search for the 1 which was lost. (He spoke of other things as well; log on, it’s worth your time to listen).

So, what does this have to do with Covid-19? Everything. Because lives matter. One life matters. Your life matters. The restrictions on work and travel are very expensive but we can’t simply equate a life saved or lost in terms of dollars and cents. What is a life worth? What is your life worth? Your parents? Your children? Your friends and neighbors? What will we learn from this crisis to improve our daily lives and prepare us for the next crisis?

I also read a thought-provoking article by David Korten published 3/29/2020, in Yes! Magazine. I provide a link to the article and this quote is from the last section of the article.

Why Coronavirus is Humanity’s Wake-Up Call

We need leaders committed to effective government of, by, and for the people. These leaders must simultaneously recognize that the collective well-being of all depends on institutions in all three sectors—government, business, and civil society—that are effective at, committed to, and accountable for serving the well-being of the communities that create them.

As I write this I also wonder; what’s the point? Few people read this blog, fewer still comment or share it. I write books to make a difference in people’s lives but I see no profit. My cost in terms of time and money spent far exceed any financial benefit, but that really isn’t my purpose. I need to realize if one person benefits, if someone’s day is brightened even slightly, there is benefit.

Make someone’s day better. We don’t need to do it for the many, do it for one. It’s worth the cost.