RESTRICTED

May 12, 2020, Tuesday.

We're all getting tired of the restrictions the Covid-19 pandemic has imposed. We're especially tired of being isolated and not able to interact in person with family and friends, not being allowed to go where we want to go. This is a restriction we're not used to. But we've been restricted in other ways all our lives.

Babies are born out of the restriction of the womb, and are swaddled before they are allowed to stretch and grow. We put them behind the bars or netting of their cribs and play pens. We strap them into high chairs, strollers, and car seats. This is all for their physical safety, of course. At about the age of two, children begin to learn the meaning of the word, "no". As they grow older, they learn to respect the property of others, to share, and to behave themselves according to the rules and laws of their society.

At the other end of the age spectrum, as an octogenarian I realize that aging also places restrictions: the dimming of sight and hearing, reduced mobility, the lessening of mental acuity. Fortunately I've experienced only reduced mobility so far, but that restricts me from enjoying exploritive walks. I don't get out as much or go as far as I used to. Things are happening in my extended neighborhood that I'm no longer aware of.

None of this is new. Eve was restricted from eating the fruit from one tree in the Garden of Eden. Eight of the ten commandments begin with the words, "You shall not . . ." If people are to live together in tribes, clans, villages, or even the whole world, we need rules and laws to regulate behavior and give everyone the right to "life, liberty, and the persuit of happiness."

So what, if anything, is different about the current restrictions, and why has there been a backlash from some people? As I said at the beginning, we haven't been used to social isolation, and there's a human need for intimate relationships. If the only reason for isolation is to prevent an individual from getting sick, then each of use could make the choice for ouselves: do we went to go out and risk catching a potentially fatal disease, or do we want to stay in and be safe? The people who complain that their liberty is being denied must think this way.

But Covid-19 has a property that makes it much more than just an individual choice: a person without symptoms can unknowingly infect many other people. By staying in, we're not just protecting ourselves, but possibly family, friends, and strangers. People who were raised to think they were special, priviledged, or entitled may have a hard time understanding that it's not just about "me", it's about all of us. We're in this together.

When he had just begun to read, my young grandson noticed that a lot of signs along the road began with the word "no": no parking, no stopping, no left turn. He commented sadly, "There are lots of 'nos' and hardly any 'yeses' " --- a true and sober view of life.