By Camden Crook, Staff Writer
School has just been canceled, indefinitely. Normally, this would be exciting news. Normally, you wouldn’t be spending your school days at home in the midst of a global pandemic.
The truth is, life right now is not normal, and to pretend like it is can have detrimental effects.
You may be young and healthy. If you contracted the coronavirus, you’d likely recover. But this situation is not about you. It’s about your dad, who seems healthy but has a compromised immune system. It’s about your best friend’s baby sister, who can’t afford to get sick. It’s about the elderly lady who lives next door, or any elderly person you pass on the street.
They’re someone’s mom, dad or grandparent, and their life is just as important as yours.
Saving someone’s life and supporting your country has never been this easy. In the past, patriotic acts came at the price of enlisting in the military. Think about generations that came before you, right around your age, giving up their futures, their safe, comfortable lives, and putting their fate in the hands of war.
Nowadays, you have a similar opportunity to perform a patriotic act, except this one can be accomplished from the comfort of your own home.
Sure the virus might have ruined your spring break plans. Sure you might be cooped up with your family, unable to physically hang out with your friends. But if you put the situation in perspective, these eight weeks are such a small portion of your lifespan, and an even smaller price to pay for potentially saving millions of lives.
Concerts. Sporting events. School. And today, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. These are just a few of the many major events that have been either canceled or postponed as the coronavirus continues to spread. This is not the result of overreaction or unnecessary fear. Entire countries do not go into lockdown over a “bad case of the flu.”
Right now, China, Italy and Spain have more overall deaths than the U.S. However, that is likely to change. Today, the United States became No. 1 for new cases. China’s 78 new cases is nothing compared to our country’s quickly growing 6,172.
We can look at China as an example. China was in our situation two months ago. The government enforced self-isolation early. The damage in China may seem severe, but it could’ve been a lot worse. Here in the U.S., the government does not have as much control over its people. A large part of how long this situation lasts is up to us.
It is our responsibility to keep ourselves healthy, to stock up on the necessities and wait for this storm to pass. In the meantime, take this opportunity to do that thing you’ve always wanted to but never seemed to have the time. Enjoy this unique time with your family. It may not seem like it right now, but before you know it, your busy life will resume.
In a place as secluded as the Outer Banks, with no currently confirmed cases, it’s easy to overlook the seriousness of the situation. But now more than ever, you need to be educating yourself. Watch the news, research ways to protect yourself and others and, most importantly, wash your hands!
Senior Camden Crook can be reached at crookca109@daretolearn.org.
