Editor:
We play peek-a-boo with small children and delight in their surprise when we reappear from behind our hands. This no longer works as the person matures and realizes that things can still exist even though we can no longer see them. By not talking about it, we, as a society, are acting like little children by carrying on as though COVID-19 is no longer a threat even though more people died last year than the year before.
Wearing a mask is like buckling up when we enter a car. We don’t even think about it as we pull the strap in one even pull and click. We aren’t surprised at how many people survive horrible car accidents. Wearing a mask is awkward at first, but we can learn to put them on smoothly and pinch the nose wire so our glasses don’t fog up. We can add a few more timely hand washes to our routines. Our buildings and buses can add air purification to heating and lighting as routine mandates.
Closing our eyes and not talking about it will not make COVID-19 or any other communicable disease coming in the future, go away. Facing our new reality with the tools we know work, will save a lot of suffering.
Joan Payne
Sechelt
