By Merlin Wheeler
In his first inaugural address, in 1933 in the midst of the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt included the phrase, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself: nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” He was referring of course to the economic conditions brought on by the Depression.
The use of the phrase was both was insightful and inspirational.
Today we live in an increasingly fear-based world. I’m not a psychologist; I don’t pretend to know why. I suspect even my parents did before WWII; motivated by the devastation of WWI, the 1918-19 flu pandemic, and the Great Depression. Perhaps it arose from the global nature of the World Wars, from an increasing sense of diminishing control over our lives. When I was growing up in the ‘40s it was, first communism, then nuclear holocaust which spurred that fear. That eventually morphed into the AIDs epidemic, and then domestic and international terrorism. And now, disease again.
“FEAR” has been defined as Future Events Appearing Real. That’s an adequate definition for my purposes.
All our lives, globally, have been disrupted by the Covids-19 pandemic, many tragically. A major portion of the population have been forced to not work, to ”stay at home” and “self-isolate”. Most small and large businesses are closed, including bars and restaurants. Social gatherings, concerts, even many churches are closed. The entire fabric of our lives has been torn. We’ve all but forgotten about ongoing and upcoming elections, the very foundation of our democracy. Alternative medical practitioners such as chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, along with some legal abortion service providers, are closed as “not medically necessary”. Public campgrounds, National Parks, even many public lands are closed. The San Juan County Sheriff has issued a directive that out-of-county vehicles parked at back-country trailheads will be ticketed or towed. And don’t even think about camping near Moab or Bluff, Utah. The list goes on and on.
And since when does the Governor of Colorado, and countless other government officials have the authority to tell us where we can go, and what we can do outside our homes? Since we have become so fearful of this pandemic, that albeit grudgingly, we have given him the authority. That’s when. But I want to emphasize that, in my opinion, it’s not the pandemic that has disrupted our lives, it’s the fear of the consequences of the pandemic that has. We have collectively taken many of the common sense measures mandated by our governments to extremes. “No gatherings of more than ten people” has become No Gathering, even of two people. Remember Roosevelt’s words.
I am becoming increasingly concerned that our fear of this, and any future pandemics, may lead us to willingly accept living in a Police State “for our own protection”.
So what’s to be done? We have to resist and overcome this fear. Don’t turn yourself over to the exhortation of the news media. Delve into the Internet and consult multiple information sources. Not all, including the popular media, are accurate. Don’t thrive on rumor, verify information that drives your day-to-day life and decisions about your future. Realize that fear, and the resultant stress, weakens your immune system, making you more susceptible to infection.
And ironically, in our forced idleness many of us have been presented with a golden gift: Time. Time to do the many things we’ve just “never had the time for”. To drag that old guitar out of the closet and relearn the cords. And reorganize the closet while you’re at it. Or work on polishing up your piano skills. Go for long walks (with or without a dog); outdoor recreation is still “permitted”. Spend quality time with your loved ones. Help your children with their remote learning. Dig out the board games or jig-saw puzzles.
Unplug the smart phones and TVs. Start reworking your indoor or outdoor gardens. We just planted indoor seed beds, something we’ve been intending to do for years. Read a lot. Write poetry or that novel you’ve never got around to. Do yoga or other indoor exercises (there are lots of online classes, particularly now). Spend time on the phone with friends and neighbors you choose not to talk to face-to-face. We just participated, via Zoom, in an online Buddhist meditation sangha, and an on-line church service.
The list is practically endless. And in addition to being productive, all of these activities reduce stress. And stress, I believe, is a major contributor to fear. And fear, unfortunately, is far more contagious than any disease. We will survive this. And while our world and lives will be changed, they don’t have to be degraded permanently.
Don’t yield to the temptation to yield freedom to perceived security, or to tolerate it, long term, in those who demand it of you. I believe it was Ben Franklin who said, “Those who would trade freedom for security are deserving of neither.” Let’s ensure that when COVID-19 has run its course, which it will, that we still live in a democracy, with elected leaders receiving the consent of the governed. That we will not, is my great concern. That eventuality does not appear real, yet. But it could become so if we yield to our fear.
Merlin Wheeler has lived in the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado) since 1966. He retired from a professional career in hydrology in 1998, and moved to Pagosa Springs in 2006.