A Few Random Thoughts
It happened two Fridays ago (Yes, Friday the 13th) at COSTCO. The 70 something year old waiting for a liver transplant was shaking hands with the 65 year old cancer survivor who no longer has his spleen and one of his kidneys. What were they thinking? They weren’t thinking. That is the point. We aren’t going to do “Social Distancing” on our own. It isn’t in our nature. Should we have known better? Of course. Still, it was good to see him.
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“How long are you going to do this?” I’ve been asked that question almost every week for the last few years. My standard answer is that I have to be dead three years before I can retire. The joke initially referred to the state of my savings, which may not be that far off base with the market’s recent plunge. But in truth, my real concern was with the very thought of retirement. For one, I love what I do. No, not every day. There are moments of great success and days of failure when I confront problems that I cannot solve. I’ve been an agent for 41 years. It is what I do. It is who I am. Worse, sitting at home this last couple of days is everything I feared about retirement. Too cold to be outside for very long. Limited in where I can go and what I can do. I am not ready for this. Thank G-d tomorrow is Monday.
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We are essential! It is truly a strange world that needs its insurance agents to work, but furloughs its dentists. In truth, I’m actually happy that my dentist friends are not in their offices. Without proper testing, the idea of exposing dentists and their staffs makes no sense at all. Of course they will be available for dental emergencies. The dentists are losing money. Their rents and their equipment leases will still be due. And the dentists I’ve talked with today are still paying their employees. I asked if they have donated any extra their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). What I’ve been told is that when/if that becomes an issue in Ohio, the Ohio Dental Association will organize the donations.
We are woefully unprepared. My friend Greg, a doctor in Wisconsin, reports that more and more health care workers are getting exposed and more and more staying home. Health care workers and first responders are ill-equipped and under-tested. They are playing golf in a thunderstorm.
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We are all doing what we can. Museums are available for virtual visits. Here is the link to the Cleveland Museum of Art. While you are stuck at home you can access artists, comedians, and musicians who are tending to our mental health. Local favorite, Alex Bevan, has been performing daily from his home. He played for almost an hour today. I’ve been a fan for years. His efforts serve to remind us that we truly are all in this together.
Stay Safe. Stay Healthy.
DAVE
Picture – Clean Office – David L Cunix