Perhaps I should’ve waited to write something until the full scope of everything plays out. But I couldn’t wait. As soon as I turned on the TV here in my apartment and saw that the NCAA canceled both the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, I knew I had to write SOMETHING. Wow… I’m absolutely stunned. Although I knew this was probably coming. I expected it. It’s just that I have never, in all my life, seen a disease cause this much of an impact on society so quickly.
Let’s also get something out of the way: I am glad precautions like this are being taken. As much as I absolutely love sports, March Madness, and everything else, I am glad the people in charge of these leagues and tournaments are not taking any chances. Everyone’s safety should come first and foremost in a situation like this. I’d rather see something sports-related get canceled or postponed instead of see someone get sick or die.
I do feel for the athletes though. Especially senior players who thought they’d get to play at least a few more games. I couldn’t imagine putting in that kind of work all season long, proving I was good enough to play beyond the regular season with my teammates, and then something freaky like this cuts my career short? A cruel twist of fate. I’m man enough to admit I bawled like a baby after my last high school football game with my friends and classmates. But that’s because we lost our game. We were beaten fair and square that day by a more disciplined team in the playoffs. But at least we got a chance to play. It doesn’t seem fair to these athletes that things end this way.
This disease does make me slightly paranoid though. If it’s spread through coughing and sneezing, close contact, or on contaminated surfaces, people should be taking every precaution they can. For me, I’m going to wash my hands a lot, and cover my mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. If I go anywhere, I’m going to make sure I don’t use a railing or doorknob with my bare hands.
I still need to study up on how dangerous the Coronavirus is. Forgive the ignorance, but as far as I know right now, how I picture the disease is like the flu on steroids. I am not a health expert or doctor. But I would recommend that everyone try their best to be calm, ask the medical experts such as doctors or nurses what to do, and just to use common sense. And please for the love of all that’s holy, don’t buy out the stores! This isn’t World War III or Armageddon. Buy what is needed to get you through, and then get out. There are millions of people who want to protect themselves and their families, and they can’t do that if you don’t stay calm and think rationally.
Be calm, but also be smart. Forgive me for using political examples, but don’t be like President Trump or Vice President Pence. Trump thinks he’s got the virus contained. Truth is, he has no clue whether he does or not. That’s not slamming him. I’m simply saying that we cannot control the disease at this point. Only how we react to it. And don’t be like Pence in willfully ignoring the instruction to not shake hands. People who deny that something is happening are just asking for trouble. Don’t blame China for it either. Yes it did come from Wuhan, but I highly doubt the Chinese government or people introduced the disease to get people sick on purpose. I believe in some conspiracy theories, like Jeffrey Epstein being murdered. But not this one. Let’s not politicize this anymore than it already has been.
On the opposite side of things, do not treat this like the sky is falling. It’s not. Pardon my French here folks, but panicking and stressing out about a situation that’s still largely unknown doesn’t do a damn thing. Zero. All it does is cloud someone’s ability to think clearly and make good decisions for themselves or their families. Simply take care of yourselves, use common sense, and if you believe in God, pray. This too will pass.
Luke's Thoughts 