The Pandemic Blues, Part 6: Heading into the summer: Virtual living

 In June, with the virus subsiding in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, there was at least a little hope for a brighter future, but of course that optimism has proven to be mostly unfounded as in mid-October, we’re seeing cases rising and governors threatening to tighten their grip on our lives and fulfill their "mission" of keeping us apart forever, as they flex their muscles over all of us, because too many people are still ignoring restrictions and holding gatherings, parties and failing to wear masks! C'mon people: Give the rest of us a break, will you please?

(Just the other day, on Oct. 14, I was in Stop & Shop in South Attleboro, MA --- a “red” zone of high cases in the Bay State --- and a middle-aged man plowed past me going the WRONG WAY in a one-way aisle with his mask DOWN! With such open defiance of COVID-19 rules, it’s little wonder why we are not going to see improvement in the United States anytime soon.)

 In this column from June, I tried to be positive, saying I’d make the most of the virtual events available. But in reality, there’s no replacing in-person evens with virtual ones.
And, as the hybrid school experience hangs by a thread, it’s important to note that students are getting deprived of so many activities that the lives of too many of them will be adversely affected, if not traumatized, for years to come.

This column was published in the June edition of Jewish Rhode Island of Providence, RI

As we head into a bittersweet summer without many of our favorite activities and events, it might seem a strange time to count our blessings, but that’s worth doing as we strive to maintain a sense of perspective and a thread of hopefulness in the midst of a pandemic that won't loosen its grip on us.
Chief among my blessings is trying to turn at least some of the negatives that we've been facing into positives. That came to mind as I recalled my good fortune at being able to attend the graduations the last two years of both of my daughters: my oldest, Arianna, in 2018 from Bridgewater State University, and my youngest, Alana, in 2019, from Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School in Franklin. As I thought of the joy that those two milestones gave us, I realized that I shouldn't have taken them for granted, given the fact that those life-changing moments are very much up in the air for the Class of 2020.
Hundreds of high school graduations, for example, were supposed to have been held this weekend, but that ritual has been denied the graduates because of COVID-19. Some schools might hold virtual ceremonies, but those won't be quite the same, while others have postponed them to late summer even though there's no guarantee that they’ll take place.
Canceled or postponed graduations are, of course, just one sign of this Lost Summer, and doing without those activities will be tough to take. We can either lament their loss, or we can be thankful for some of the alternatives being held in their place, no matter how unfulfilling.
That's how I approached a “virtual 5K” that I ran to benefit the music program in North Attleboro's schools. The last several years, the race has been a favorite spring tradition of mine because it's featured about 200 runners and walkers dressed in costumes representing different musical eras – the '60s, for instance – as well as high school students playing some of the era's iconic tunes along the 3.1-mile route. The music, which would get your adrenaline going, was a nice way to psyche up the runners.
This year's race was markedly different. Like everything else about our solitary existence, running on my own (and then emailing the organizers my time) was tough because no one was pushing me. But, determined not to let the pandemic end this tradition, I decided it was better to run alone than to pass up the race, as I had originally intended. I also was inspired by my daughter, who ran the race as part of her training for her college cross-country team. I've been impressed that she's been sticking with her training despite the uncertainty over whether Johnson & Wales University, like many colleges, will actually let students live on campus in the fall, or allow sports.
I had a similar decision to make about whether to participate in a virtual version of a large charitable event after its in-person fundraiser became a casualty of COVID-19. My initial reaction to the Greater Attleboro Relay For Life, which benefits the American Cancer Society, being forced online was deep disappointment. I was despondent that this event -- which I've been a part of since 2000 in various roles, including the last three on the volunteer organizing committee -- had been forced to cancel its physical event.
As a result, I was initially hesitant to embrace another virtual substitute for the real thing, and for several days I viewed the end of this year's brick-and-mortar event as one more thing that has been snatched from us by the deadly pandemic.
But after sulking for a while, I eventually let go of my funk. Instead of dwelling on what was lost, I remembered what has been accomplished over the last two decades: hundreds of thousands of dollars had been raised to help cancer patients. I also remembered how inspiring it's been to see cancer survivors walk around the track.
Those memories restored my faith in what people can accomplish when they work together, and convinced me to rededicate myself to raising money for the virtual events, which will take place June 7 and June 12. I've since been pleasantly surprised by the support of so many donors, whose generous contributions during these trying times have been uplifting.
As for the other things that we'll all be missing this summer – travel to popular summer vacation spots,  concerts, including the Boston Pops and the Newport Jazz and Folks festivals, July 4^th fireworks and parades and relaxing afternoons and evenings watching baseball at McCoy Stadium --- there will be no replacing them.
The only way we’ll be able to get through these difficult times will be to keep the faith that eventually the pandemic and the Draconian restrictions that have accompanied it will go away, and that a vaccine will be found sooner rather than later.
Without that belief, it’ll be impossible for us to cling to the one thing that we'll all need the most this summer and beyond: hope.