INFRASTRUCTURE

March 23, 2020, Monday

The trash truck woke me up this morning at 6:30am as usual. Although we are confined to the house by the coronavirus, we still have all the infrastructure we need to be happy and healthy: a warm house, good food, clean water, indoor plumbing, companionship, books to read, telephone, internet. I can still sleep in my own bed. Thanks to the essential workers who are risking their own health to provide these services to us.

These would be luxuries to many people in this world. Even people in our own "advanced democracy". It remains to be seen if the pandemic will cause a severe economic recession and possibly cripple the infrastructure many of us enjoy now.

I was six years old when World War II ended, so I don't have vivid memories of the many restrictions that were imposed on the civilian population. But I still remember a few: the rationing of some foods and gasoline, the need to hang black-out curtains over the windows, new clothing made over from old clothing. And a shortage of paper, yes, even toilet paper. Mom cut up old tissue paper sewing patterns and laid the pieces on top of the toilet tank. We survived and thrived then, and we can do the same today.