VALUABLE LESSONS.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. I am sure we’ve all grown tired of hearing that we’ve entered “uncharted territory” by now, but that’s exactly the situation we find ourselves in. Saying this isn’t the America we’re all familiar with goes without saying. In a matter of three weeks America as we know it has been altered for a long time to come, if not permanently. So, trying to come up with something uplifting to say is a thankless task.

This health crisis has triggered an economic calamity that has yet to play out, but it should be obvious that thousands of small businesses are not going to survive. From glamorous restaurants to mom and pop diners; from the local shops and the shopkeepers that keep them running; countless businesses big and small, this is a sad situation that will get far worse before there’s even a hint of recovery.

The sense of being rudderless is palpable everywhere. As a nation we’re used to going and doing and being, but now, we’re all kind of lost in a Twilight Zone that swings between claustrophobic apprehension and abject boredom. This isn’t the collective “us.” This isn’t the America we’re used to. Nothing about this situation reminds us of anything that has come before. It’s like we’re floundering and flailing as a nation, and it isn’t pretty in the least.

And the social isolation thing? To be honest it is something I’m very comfortable with, because after creating this website for more than 20 years now, it has become part of who I am and what I do. But I can tell this has hit the rest of the nation very hard. An entire region sheltering in place, like what’s happening in the San Francisco Bay area? Simply unheard of. Maybe that sense of anonymity that is part and parcel of the contemporary American “thing” as we know it will give way to a new sense of community for all.

I sincerely hope that is the case, at any rate. Unfortunately, we, as Americans only pick our heads up and see what’s happening around us when there is a national emergency. It is then that a real sense of urgency emerges, and we’re forced to remind ourselves of who we are and who we feel we need to be.

Is there a light at the end of this darkest tunnel? I actually believe there is, but this nation is going to suffer greatly because of this unholy virus, with the horrific estimate of more than two million deaths finally shaking the current administration by the lapels and coaxing it out of its Pollyannaish stupor. Is it too late? It will be for many, unfortunately, according to the medical predictions.

But I actually do see one positive in all of this, and that is that the divisive rancor and polarizing hatred seem to have been put on hold, at least for now. (I know, some bastions of hate will continue unabated, but that’s clearly not the prevailing thinking right now for the majority of citizens in this country.) 

This crisis is forcing us to remember that we’re all Americans, and that we’re not only in this together, the only way we’re going to emerge on the other side of this is to stay together and help each other. This virus doesn’t care about our political affiliation, or our ethnic background; it doesn’t care about where we live, or what we do, or what our financial standing is; it doesn’t care about our educational credentials, whether we’re CEOs, or toiling at a 24-Hour Gas ‘N Go. 

It’s the most ferociously democratic predator we, as a nation, have ever faced. Which is why it is not only forcing us to come together as a nation; it is forcing the collective “we” to be better, to be more compassionate, to look after each other to a degree that we couldn’t even fathom before this moment in time. 

And that is one very good thing to come out of this. 

As I stated earlier, I do believe we will overcome this threat to our very existence and to this great nation we’re all a part of, but the toll will be horrendous and the long-term consequences are destined to be crushingly severe. I also retain a shred of optimism that, unlike with past disasters when we all returned to acting exactly as we were before in no time, like it never happened, that this time will be different. 

I am hopeful that this difficult time will teach us all some incredibly valuable lessons going forward: That myopic self-absorption is not a trait to be proud of; that callous indifference to our fellow citizens is never a good thing; that caring for the well-being of our elders, or for people less fortunate than us is something to relish and aspire to. Because, frankly, the way this great nation has been trending in recent times has been nothing to be proud of. This medical crisis is the most terrible way to force us back on track; I just hope we can all stay there for a very long time to come.

And that’s the High-Octane Truth for this week.