O ver the last 100 years or
so, we have survived
World War I, the Spanish
flu in 1918, the Great
Depression in 1929, World War
II, the Korean War in the 1950s,
Vietnam until 1975, and the attacks
of September 11th, 2001, just to
mention a few of the troubles we
have seen. Some people believe
the Prohibition ban on alcohol
(1920-1933) was passed into law
in response to the Spanish flu,
which gave that crisis a spin no one
expected. None of us can clearly
predict what our lives will be like
after COVID-19, except that they
will no doubt be different.
The long-lasting effects on our future
lifestyle are cloudy. The only certainty is
that most individuals will survive. People
will argue about what was necessary and
what was not, and whether the personal
safety of individuals was worth the
economic disaster that the quarantine
caused. There are ample opinions on
both sides to keep the discussion going
for a long time. But eventually the virus
will be forgotten, just as the 1918 Spanish
flu outbreak was until our new health
challenge surfaced. Even now, the lines are
drawn between those who believe people
who come in contact with others should
wear masks or some type of covering over
their noses and mouths, while others are
less sure, believing it is an overreaction.
However, there is no disagreement that
this pandemic has altered each of our
lifestyles to some degree. The unexpected
has happened. Some say they anticipated
it and warned us, which makes little or
no difference now since the virus is here,
and we are dealing with it, each in our
own way.
Right or wrong is not an issue about
which I am qualified to write. The best
64 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | JULY/AUGUST 2020
I can do is hope and pray that
ultimately, this crisis will come
under control and that we will
learn valuable lessons from it,
as we survive this blow to our
perfectly planned out lives.
Once again we must remind
ourselves that the past is gone
and does not matter because we
cannot change it. Likewise, we
never really can see or control the
future, so it will be what it will
be. Therefore, we can only live
in the present, taking one day at
a time without trying to explain
why what we predicted yesterday
did not happen today, or trying to
predict what will happen tomorrow.
Now is the time for us to pivot, redirect
ourselves and find ways to capitalize on our
new reality. This is not the time to worry or
concern ourselves with what might have
been. Change is inevitable, a constant that
will continue to be a component of our
lives life and our existence. So let’s move
forward as best we can, make the best of
our new lifestyle, and not dwell on how
we wish things were, since they are not.
We will make the best of our own situation,
rather than fret over what we think should
have been done. 9
COMMENTARY
LIFE IS NOT EASY
But We Will Survive
By Aaron R. Fodiman
Wearing a mask when going out has become as standard a
practice as wearing sleepwear when you are home.
GRAM