“May you live in interesting times…”
English blessing or Chinese curse?
Last night I spent some time on a Face Time call with my daughter and granddaughters. Two out of the three had done a test drive of the online school they will be attending starting today.
The kids were excited to begin something new. Even in the face of missing the former. They loved their brick and mortar school. They loved their teachers. They loved their friends. The oldest one loves to read and adores math. My middle grandchild is all about the process — the stars, the human body — she loves knowing how it all fits together. My youngest granddaughter starts kindergarten and depending on how things go — may never attend school off -site in a designated building. But even amid these big emotions — they were ready to let go of what no longer worked for them.
We know from all the clusters of COVID that hit various colleges — putting kids together is a breeding ground for the virus. ALL VIRUSES. It’s not as if we didn’t see this particular one rip through churches, nursing homes, prisons, the military. Anyplace where “two or more are gathered” in anyone’s name.
I had been saving for my granddaughters’ college education — however — if it turns out in eight or ten years everything is moved to an online format, suddenly, the cost to educate them drops. Expidentually.
My father attended a one-room schoolhouse until he entered high school. And as I watched my daughter prepare a place for her three kids — 4th grade, 2nd grade, kindergarten — I pondered her “one-room schoolhouse”.
The same trend is sweeping the medical field as well. If you are just coming into your doctor’s office for a discussion of a treatment plan and there is no reason to physically examine you, then a telemed visit is appropriate. From the comfort of your living room. Doctors, in fact, making virtual house calls.
I remember being seen by my family MD in my living room when I was a child with a raging fever. I remember how comfortable he was laying me over his lap to give me a shot of penicillin in the bum. He had done this his whole career. Gone to the sick in the middle of the night and treated them.
Yes, I am really old enough to have a history with these two circumstances; and enough self-reflection to understand the old saying — “What is old, is new again.”
The creativity of the Human species to evolve is incredible. When you think about the changes in our systems just within the last generation or two, it is completely mind-boggling.
But that’s what we do with “Interesting Times”. We get creative. We think outside the box. We recycle what worked and put a new spin on it. We work-around obstacles. We hang on to the important concept and let go of the outdated and outmoded processes.
We evolve.
Namaste.
