U is for 2020

"U", another one of those hard letters. UNCOMMON MERCY, a post-apocalyptic tale in the collection of Hearth and Sand would be a fitting topic. But Kalindra's tale was the "U" post for the 2019 A to Z Challenge. I could do a different excerpt, however considering world events it could be too disturbing for some.
So how did 2020 fit the character "U?" When spelled out, the year still starts with a "T".

Unless you've been hiding in a cave beneath the ocean, 2020 is a year that is unusual, uncertain and full of the unknown. All descriptors which begin with the letter "U." So, a few thoughts from Day 42 of the Isolation Ward.

The first quarter of 2020 contained the fear and uncertainty of 9-11 as I stood on the pier and watched smoke billow into a blue sky. There is also the unknown of the dawn after Superstorm Sandy as you surveyed the damage of your town and its environs. For one entire communities mourned the loss of life, and for the other their homes, livelihoods, and the destruction of their towns and heritage.

But there is a significant difference to the 2020 unknown that is COVID-19. After 9-11, worries were submerged while we figured out ways to get stranded people home. Sandy required different efforts. Teams of local residents worked shoulder to shoulder with out-of-town emergency relief teams to start the work of demotion and rebuilding. Social distancing and no gatherings  minimize the comfort of others or the sense of hope you get when working towards recovery. Instead there is the mourning of what is lost and the fear of the unknown. As of this post, restrictions have not been lifted. And even when they will are, what the world will be like is still unknown.

There is another similarity between 9-11 and COVID-19 that while it doesn't begin with "U," demands to be included. Both events came with a loss of innocence, the knowing that such things could happen. And the suspicion that things would never be the same again, or for at least a very, very long time.

Thank you for your patience during these unsettled times and to the nurses, doctors, and first responders for all their heroic efforts and sacrifices. And also to the truckers and myriad of others working to keep us supplied with food and shelter.

~till next time, As many around us now say, "Stay Strong, Be Safe." Helen


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