The times we are currently in lend a bit of space to think about a broad range of "importances" ... what is and what is not. In such a short span of time, the usual, the regular, the normal screeches to a halt and is replaced by the uncertain, the unclear, the unknown .. in equal measure.
I live on the West Coast in the San Francisco Bay Area and, specifically, in San Francisco "proper" as we say out here . My city is surrounded on three sides by the San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate through which the Bay flows into the Pacific Ocean which forms our western border. Looking westward the sea goes on for thousands of kilometers with nary an island to break its endless waves. It is from that further Far West from here the coronavirus (COVID-19) first took hold and made its deadly way into all our worlds.
As of one week ago, the impact of what was only "read about from across the seas" (China, South Korea, Iran, Italy, Europe) became suddenly "our" problem, too. It is a peculiarity of American 'psychology' that we somehow stand apart as a country from "the world" with which we fully interact and participate. It is, of course, an unrealistic concept that "apartness." Rooted in our American historical myth, it remains a quiet underpinning of a mental state which often surprises the rest of the world. How is that possible that there is no mental bridge while our physical, financial, social interactions reflect the realities of 21st century life? Now that is a question.
Those of us who have spent our lives experiencing the diversity, cultures, countries rich in their own histories can never quite fully accept this more limited vision of what our world truly has to share and offer. But there it is.
So what happened here:
The Mayor of San Francisco one week ago proclaimed a shut down which is scheduled to last at least until 07 April. In this we were ahead of many here in the States. We 'got' the importance of halting as much as possible the exponential spread of the virus with its concomitant deadly medical consequences. We shall see if this strict interpretation of restriction will support the goal laid out so clearly... allowing time and separation to slow the virus, with testing to assist understanding of the spread, and hopefully result in a reduction of the numbers falling ill.
That was excellent and the State of California followed a few days behind our Bay Area-wide shutdown proclamations. With a population of about 40 million inhabitants, California is really a state/nation state. The City (our affectionate name for San Francisco with a Capital T and Capital C...which is, in and of itself, an indicator of our small town/big city perception of the place) was in the forefront recognizing the seriousness of the issue.
What does it feel like here?
As with so many other parts of the world, the streets are empty with only occasional sightings of people getting some exercise, stretching their legs after many home bound hours. Ironically, with the reduction in street activity, our homeless population is beginning to be more obvious, not that they were not already. In a city with extremes of wealth, prosperous business types, and thriving technological entities, our homeless are one of our saddest realities. They sprawl in doorways sleeping, meander down sidewalks gesticulating to themselves. In certain areas of the city where they congregate, public services are finding them more readily as they are some of the few out and about throughout the day and night. It is a depressing statistic of this lovely town of mine that our disadvantaged and mentally damaged citizens are often lost in the daily busy shuffle of the more successful denizens living here or who commute in daily to work.
I notice how much less litter I have found on the streets in the last week or so. I cannot understand how members of a city community can just toss out paper, wrappers, boxes or what not on to the streets so that others have to tromp through their leftovers. It seems counter-intuitive to good membership in the human community. I started something I call "Three for Free"... if each of us picked up three items off the street each day 'for free' or of 'free will' just think how quickly the streets would be a positive experience rather than a testament to human irresponsibility. So simple.
We all recognize that these are particularly challenging times ... one can only wish for a speedy outcome and resolution of what is a major event in our lifetimes.
I sit at my computer typing this and in the distance the dark rain laden clouds have given rise to a full rainbow which stretches from the left side of my view across the garden to the right side. A testament of nature when she is in full grace.
So many topics ... bridging the divide between what is so, what could be, what has been and what the future can bring.
Helen - San Francisco
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