An Open Letter to Young People Amid the Coronavirus Epidemic
I get it. You spent most of your life learning that it’s okay to go against the grain.
Do young adults not fully comprehend the severity, or do they just not care about Coronavirus COVID-19?
It’s okay to challenge conventional wisdom and question policies that are in place because “it’s always been that way.”
After all, that's what you learn in college.
Question everything.
Do your research.
Read credible sources.
You're posing the question: How will my older professors conduct online learning when they can't even swipe up?
They will learn. Just like you learned. Believe it or not these people have an incredible amount of wisdom and talent.
Perhaps you never looked at life from a higher level perspective.
You don’t see the problem with small things like driving diagonally across painted parking spaces in the Target parking lot, because you already looked both ways.
But what happens when you lean over to pick up your phone that fell on the passenger side floor, so you don’t see the toddler…his mom took him out of the carseat and as soon as his tiny feet hit the ground he went running?
Consider this hypothetical situation:
What happens when you find out that your best friend’s mom died?
Perhaps she was in the hospital recovering from a broken leg that happened while she was skiing the week before.
But since there wasn't enough protective gear for doctors and nurses, she became infected with Coronavirus.
She was fine last week…your friend’s mom.You even talked about your families when you were at the beach. You talked about how you would abide by the rules and stay far away from your grandparents.
If you’re lucky enough to have grandparents who are still living.
When classes were cancelled and you had extra time to take a break after a long semester of work, you toasted a few drinks.
You’re still feeling great. Healthy. Rested. Invincible.
Your friends are feeling great too. Nobody has any symptoms of illness.
Yet even though you never experienced any symptoms, you were carrying the virus that killed her.
Your friend’s mom.
It can’t possibly be true.
Could you?
Did you?
You didn't even go near her, but your friend did. She was also asymptomatic.
You feel sorry for their family and let your friend know that you’ll be there if she needs you.
But the thought doesn’t even cross your mind.
About your own family.
You haven’t been around them.
You live in your own apartment…in a different city.
But then the inevitable happens.
You just got news that your own mom is feeling some mild flu-like symptoms.
She’s going to self-isolate and stay home. You’re definitely not going to your parents house, you want to stay as far away as possible so you don’t get sick.
And then it gets worse.
Significantly worse.
Your mom Facetime’s her doctor because they aren’t seeing “healthy” people in their office.
A day later, you text her.
She feels okay, but her breathing is getting heavy.
A few hours later, dad sends you a text that he’s taking her to the emergency room.
Within just a few hours, your phone rings.
Who could this be, nobody ever actually calls.
It’s your dad.
But it’s too late.
Too late to get to the hospital in enough time to say goodbye.
She was 48.
Suddenly your world is turned upside down.
How could this happen?
To us.
To her.
She’s too young.
Just stop whatever you’re doing right now.
Stop thinking you’re invincible.
Turn on CNN!
Now is not the time for you to be a “rule breaker”.
The reality is…nobody ever pays attention to something until that something slaps them in the face.
It doesn’t matter how old you are.
The situation above was hypothetical, to make you stop and think. But these situations are unfolding across our nation and around the world.
Death.
Death is the only uncertainty in the world. It spans generations, crosses borders, and discriminates against no one.
When the death of a loved one touches your life, that death will slap you in the face, and knock you off your feet, and then throw you against the wall.
Allow me to check my privilege at the door. I am an educated, white woman who is also a mother of two. I am privileged to be married to a man who sets my soul on fire.
Together, we have been through the ebbs and flows of life together for the last 2 decades.
We too once thought we were invincible. Like so many young people, the age of 40, 40, 50, 70…it seemed so far away. We thought we had so much time.
My mom died when our son was just 2 weeks old.
It was a confluence of miracle and loss.
Death will change you.
You need to do your part, now, before it's too late.
Instead of thinking about how bored you might be at home for a couple of weeks, why not put your effort into doing something that will actually help people?
What about all of the healthcare workers on the front lines of battling this horrific disease? Did you ever take the time to consider what they are doing for you? You might need to call on them sooner than you ever thought.
Always work for the greater good.
Be gracious for all that you have.
Because one day, not too far from now, you might just find yourself in a different situation.
Most dignified adults speak in a way that urges you to recognize the importance of this situation.
But my feeling is that you didn’t get it.
You missed the point.
There is a lot of greed in this world, and we're witnessing it on a daily basis. And my feeling is that the reason for this is because too many young people have been left to their own devices.
Consistently my own children are chastised because their friends feel that we are too strict. But we're not going around saying our kids have been “bullied.” We're taking the opportunity to have conversations with our children about what is right an wrong.
What is the right thing to do in this situation? I’m not afraid to say what needs to be said in a way that I hope you understand:
Stay the f*%&* home.
Social distancing does not mean going out in the neighborhood to play flashlight tag in the dark with a group of friends. It means DON'T GO OUT.
It doesn't mean go to the beach and sit 6-feet away from your neighbor. It means DON'T GO OUT.
If you interpreted it any other way, you are wrong.
We all need to do our part.
This is not about placing blame, or rehashing what “should have been done” to prepare. It's about leadership at a time when people need guidance.
Revisit the geo-political landscape later.
What can YOU do to help right now?
- Donate blood if you feel healthy.
- Watch CNN and educate yourself.
- Learn how the virus spreads here.
- Turn your passions into something uplifting like John Legand and share it with the world.
I don't normally write about topics like this but I just couldn't sit back and watch young people continue to make stupid decisions. I hope that if nothing else, you'll simply take a moment to open your eyes, your heart, and your mind, and understand the gravity of what is going on around you. It's up to you to save the world.
Want to start a blog of your own…but not sure exactly where to begin?
Stay well my friends. And please, just stay home.
