I Believe In Us

Let’s say a couple of months from now, besides a few pockets of resistance, the COVID-19 has all but disappeared from our lives. After all, this would be normal behavior for the Cold/Flu Season. If so, the virus would probably make a comeback next Winter/Early Spring. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that we can beat this virus, [we] being Mankind and Womankind. That being said, what will we learn from this experience? Will we change? Will we be less selfish, or continue to do things like snatch up everything from the shelves that we can stuff into a shopping cart? Particularly items such as [baby supplies], supplies necessary for the next mother or father who have not yet had the opportunity to go shopping. No, I’m not pointing fingers. In the past few weeks, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. No, not the Eastwood Movie, although I love that movie. I’ve witnessed people going above and beyond to help both their neighbors and strangers. Some of my experiences haven’t been so positive, and I won’t be writing about those situations today. Besides, I’m confident that we’ve all had the opportunity to see some of the ugliness for ourselves. I have an unmeasurable amount of faith in Humanity! Yes, it’s true! Although, I’m not completely sure where this belief has stemmed from. I’ll never consider my pain to be special in any way, but I will say that my life had been a rollercoaster of Traumatic Experiences. Even after all of the terrible shit I’ve survived, I still believe the Human Race can pull together and overcome any and all challenges! For me, it’s all about the sacrifices, some small, and some very large. I’ve spent the past 20 years of my life learning how to make these sacrifices. Not too many years ago, everything in my life was stripped away. Having nothing left to lose can change someone’s outlook on life. The question is, where do we allow our pain to lead us, and what path do we choose to step on to? Joseph Shanklin March 21, 2020